AIDS patients

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Hi Fellow Nurses

I have received my first AIDS patient in Hospice. He is very young.

I wondered if you could give me some pointers apart from the obvious issues with standard precautions etc.

I am eager to learn all I can from this experience to be better prepared if there is a next time.

I thank you all ahead of time for your good imformative assistance.

Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

Thanks for your input Leslie,

Meds are few now.. IVI Phenergan and Ativan... Pain infusion...

I shall ask about getting the Ritalin for him as anything that can help with the lack of energy would benefit his goals at this stage.

I have talked about benefit versus burden in his care.

He will not take much in the way of oral meds due to severe fungal infection mouth, back of throat and no doubt down the esophagus. It really is so nasty and sore for him.

I had some good one on one with him today. I just asked the family to give me some private patient/ nurse time.

I think 'Jack' was very appreciative of this as well.

I have a gut feeling he is going to go down in health rather quickly. He looks worse each time I see him and the weight is just sliding off.

He is talking more openly about death with me now and that has been beneficial. He does not fear death just does not want death to cheat him out of his goals but I don't know. :(

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Oh hospice is so tempting! I'm not even in nursing school yet, well im waiting for that letter that says I'm in, however, I keep trying to decide where I should look into working. I'm a tech in the ortho unit and my favorite days are when I'm sitting with a hospice patient! I love them and the whole pallitive care experience. I find it so spiritual to see them communicating with invisible people. Part of me thinks they're hallucinations and another part thinks they're their spirt guides or loved ones. Well, anyway I'm just wondering how weird it would be to go into hospice as a 23 year old! Would families think im credible?

I wont decide yet, of course, but do you think its a good place to look into if im already feeling this way about the field?

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.
Oh hospice is so tempting! I'm not even in nursing school yet, well im waiting for that letter that says I'm in, however, I keep trying to decide where I should look into working. I'm a tech in the ortho unit and my favorite days are when I'm sitting with a hospice patient! I love them and the whole pallitive care experience. I find it so spiritual to see them communicating with invisible people. Part of me thinks they're hallucinations and another part thinks they're their spirt guides or loved ones. Well, anyway I'm just wondering how weird it would be to go into hospice as a 23 year old! Would families think im credible?

I wont decide yet, of course, but do you think its a good place to look into if im already feeling this way about the field?

All I can say is follow your heart and passion. If you then make the decision it is the right one for you! I wish you well in your future studies.

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