pkateRN

Latest Activity

1. Let's talk $$ for hospice. (Idea lifted from Agency nursing)

   pkateRN replied to SuzieVN's topic in Hospice

   RN in an inpatient unit, not on call. in Ohio. 27 an hour, one dollar shift differential which makes it 28 an hour. I just started last week, came from a rehab facility.

2. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   last night a patient died right in my arms as I was holding him. that is one I need to give myself permission to move on from.

3. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   tewdles, I wanted to say thank you for giving the advice of "it is your loss professionally, not personally." that mantra is one i repeat over and over and as a result, the deaths have become easier to deal with. thank you for the perspective!

4. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   My second death was Wednesday, but I wasn't there for it...and for that I am thankful. I had been taking care of a man with leukemia for 2 weeks who was transfusion dependent before coming to me, and they decided to stop the transfusions. when I went...

5. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   you know, I've never really questioned why we don't take vitals.

6. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   thank you for the insight everybody. the nurse before me put in a subcutaneous port because all of the meds were subQ and he didn't want to poke the patient more than once. I gave one dose of scopolamine subQ and it worked beautifully. does the patch...

7. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   Marcy, I am in an inpatient unit in a VA hospital. the general name of it is the Community Living Center, which is mostly rehab patients, but we have 14 palliative/hospice beds, depending on the need. I know other VAs have their own freestanding hosp...

8. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   after typing the last response I feel like I should explain why I said "these residents are idiots." we are primarily a rehab unit, with one hallway of palliative and hospice. the residents generally have no hospice experience, so our most experience...

9. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

   pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

   I forgot to add, our residents are idiots this time. we get new ones every 2 weeks and I have no idea where these people came from. this morning, myself and my charge nurse FINALLY convinced them to give this man a morphine drip. I could tell by thi...

10. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

    pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Hospice

    I came in yesterday and to my utter shock, my patient was still hanging on. I was with him 16 hours yesterday until this morning because one of the night shift nurses called off, and I couldn't justify leaving him without adequate nursing care. when...

11. I need help processing my first hospice patient experience.

    pkateRN posted a topic in Hospice

    Hi Guys, I'm a new grad RN who was hired into a palliative care/hospice unit at a VA hospital. I have no prior experience with hospice (or nursing in general) and was given very limited training in this area- only 4 days before I was on my own. Today...

12. How did you handle your first patient dying?

    pkateRN replied to rubato's topic in Relations

    My first as a RN was last week. I took care of a gentleman who fought in WWII next to general mcarthur. he was holding on so hard, he had so much anxiety about dying. all the anxiety complicated his breathing and pain. when he finally passed, I breat...

13. Funny things patients say !

    pkateRN replied to TAM's topic in Humor

    today I was taking care of an end of life patient who is a 90 year old WWII vet. I was trying to make him comfortable, and as I leaned over him grabbed my boob and said "I'm sorry, I had to grab a titty one last time before I die" I was speechless!

14. When it rains, it pours.

    pkateRN replied to HeadingWest's topic in New Nurse

    The above poster is correct. I work at the VA and it takes months all the way up past a year to get hired in. the paperwork is outrageous, and background checks/references take them months to complete. you may be close to a year by the time all that ...

15. new grad RN reporting patient rights violation..

    pkateRN replied to pkateRN's topic in Safety

    update: raising this issue to my manager went nowhere. in addition, the patient's daughter is his legal guardian and was called into a family meeting where she decided that he is to have surgery in order to remove 2/3 of his tongue. he will also be ...