Considering Hospice job-- HELP!!

epidem · Jan 3, 2008

My wife was a full time on call hospifce nurse for a few years until having a baby in april and cutting back to casual part time. She worked 4:30p-8a four weeknights each week. Their average census was around 100-110, with patients anywhere from 3 or 4 houses down the street to over an hour away. There were some nights when she wouldn't get paged at all and other nights when she'd be gone all night. Plus charting for the night visits during the day. She had back up on call all the time but was discouraged from using them, that would cost more money. Instead she'd have a death in one county and 2 or 3 calls from patients an hour or so away to deal with. By the time she added in sleep there wasn't as much time for family, and a lot more stress, then you might think. I can't imagine adding the 48 weekend hours to that.

The way her hospice currently does it is one FT nurse during the weeknights and 2 FT nurses splitting the weekend. So the hours you are talking about with your position would be roughly equal to doing the work of 2.5 full time nurses while getting paid $43k.

hospicenurse · Jan 4, 2008

I have worked for two different hospices who had a FT oncall RN - both positions were Fri 4:30p to Monday 8am and that is it. Both positions required the nurse to do admits if needed - and it is always needed. I think you are right to be concerned - I do believe you will be busy on the weekends, and adding weeknights to the mix is unreasonable, no matter how much they pay you - It's more than a full time position.

hn

AnabelRN · Jan 4, 2008

Hi Lisa, this is my first time posting on this board. I am currently doing 4 12-hour night shifts during the weekdays, 7pm-7am, on call for hospice and get paid $54K plus mileage. I only cover one county. I think what they're asking you to do is rediculous. That's too many hours on call. I also think that what I make for what little work I actually do is rediculous. My (not so bright) manager called me while I was on maternity leave a few months ago, desperate to try to retain her case manager RNs, and offered me the position. Previous to me doing call, the case managers were having to do weekday night call in addition to case managing during the day and turnover was awful. I have also done weekend call and it was much, much busier. I've never done both weekend and weekday call at the same time. The weekend call people at our hospice do every other weekend, all weekend, and one day a week of call (16 hours) and make a full time salary. Our hospice used to have a census of over 200 but now we're down to about 80 and I have had many, many nights of no calls at all. It just all depends on how well the patients are being managed and how anxious the families are. What also has decreased the number of calls we get is that we opened a hospice center, and a lot of the high-maintenance patients end up there.

Do you think if you asked to do 2 or 3 12-hour shifts during the week (and have the case managers pick up the rest of the shift, like the 4:30pm to 8:30pm part), and still did your weekends, they would go for that? That seems more reasonable to me. Then at least you'd have every weekday evening with your family.

pixiec11 · Jan 10, 2008

Thank you to everyone that responded. Now I am a bit scared. I did take the job and they increased the pay to 48k plus mileage. I also was offered 7days on and 7days off or the alternative schedule I listed above. They seem very nice there and keep telling me that during the week I will probably only have to go out 1-2 times. I am just getting tired of the long hours at the hospital and I am hoping this job will allow me to be home a bit more.

I guess I will know more in a month or two. I will definitely update on my trials and tribulations through this process.

Thanks again, and any responses to 7on/7off or a regular schedule would be appreciated.

Lisa

hospicenurse · Jan 10, 2008

Lisa,

You got 5k more than their original offer - that's great! I've never done 7days on and 7 days off - it sounds like a great gig - at least every other week :-) It may turn out fine - every organization is different. I think that the oncall activity has a strong realtionship to how well the team manages the cases. If the pts and families get visits & support from the various team members when needed, the stress to the oncall system is greatly reduced.

Do keep us posted on how it goes.

hn

Ms Kylee · Jan 10, 2008

I would kill for that schedule... and the money too... but I guess when I get to be a nurse, the salary will increase some.

pixiec11 · Mar 8, 2008

Well, I have been working on-call now for nearly 2 months, about 1 month on my own. I can honestly say that I can not believe how good it feels to know that I am helping so many people in the community. People are so grateful for our services.

As far as my schedule, I work 3 nights one week and 2 the next, as well as fri 430p-sun 430p every other weekend. I have had several nights when I didn't have any calls and a few when I had to go out 1-2 times. We do not do admissions on the weekend and we have a backup nurse that does all scheduled visits and is available to do a visit if I am busy with a death.

I think I have the best bosses ever, and the other nurses are great. They all really work together and seem to always go out of their way to make sure that I am not overwhelmed. It is wonderful, really makes you want to go out of your way for everyone else, also.

Well, just thought I would give an update!!

~Lisa:nurse:

AnabelRN · Mar 9, 2008

That's great Lisa! Thanks for the update. I'm so glad it turned out so well for you.

VinoLover2030 · Mar 13, 2008

I am so glad you like it. being home with family is really important to me too. I have been working in ICU for the past 7 months and am really getting tired of the stress and long hours.I am considering Hospice over the summer. I just cant imagine getting off at 9pm at night any more. IM just plain tired . let us know how you continue to like your job:redbeathe:yeah: