PumpkinsMami replied to belabelisa's topic in Hospice
My mom volunteers for our hospice and she talks to the family before she sees the pt. (She mainly goes to nsg homes). She'll find books or music that the pt likes. Even if they are Alz pts, she'll read to them or play music for them. Thank you f...
PumpkinsMami replied to CardioTrans's topic in Hospice
Well, the biggest difference for me is time. When I did home health, we had to see a lot of pts in a little bit of time. With hospice, it is so different because you have time to give. That is what pts and families need most. No hurry, no rushing...
PumpkinsMami replied to Trvln Nurse's topic in Humor
I was the intake nurse at a hopice that I used to work for. We had a pt to be admitted with Lung CA & Brain Mets that lived quite a distance from where our office was. I mapped the address for our admit nurse & sent her on her way. She th...
PumpkinsMami replied to saribeth's topic in Hospice
We have team every two weeks, so it can get crazy!! The hospice I worked for before had team weekly and split the pts up. Half were discussed one week the other half were discussed the next week. We are too small now and don't think that would work...
PumpkinsMami replied to upwithpeople's topic in Hospice
I have worked for 2 hospices and both are for profit. I don't think that there is a nonprofit left in New Orleans. Anyway, both agencies are very different. The first one I worked for was a corporate company and the bottom line was #1. The second...
PumpkinsMami replied to nettie01's topic in Hospice
I completely understand how you feel! I cannot stand to walk into a pt's room and see dry crust on their lips & tongue. It just seems to me that as the tongue cracks and bleeds, it would be painful! The sponge toothettes work well if used often...
PumpkinsMami replied to nurscee's topic in Hospice
Being a hospice nurse is definitely a calling!! It would be an asset to get some experience for a couple of yrs before going into hospice. Try volunteering to get a feel for the company. Pain management is an area that you want to pay close attenti...
PumpkinsMami replied to Teachchildren123's topic in Hospice
I've been a hospice nurse for 4 years. When I first started, I was a continuous care nurse. The pts great grandson was 4 or 5 yrs old. He would constantly come to her bed and talk to her. He would ask why she was sleeping and his mom & grandm...
...is the title of a great book written by hospice nurses that discuss experiences such as these. It was the first time that I saw it termed "Near Death Awareness." I truly believe in it and have witnessed similar experiences myself. I've been a ho...