Experience needed for Hospice Nurse

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I have been a RN for 10 years now. First 2 years I worked with adults on a surgical care unit/overflow general medical. Then I was a nurse case manager for children in foster care for 4 years. Last 4 years I worked in a pediatric clinic. I have thought about adult Hospice. Should I go back to the hospital first. I have a bad bitter taste of hospitals and have no desire to go back but I feel stuck right now. :(

I don't see any need to go back to the hospital to get more adult med-surg experience, if that is what you were thinking. People come to hospice with all kinds of experience. There is very little peds in hospice (thankfully) but any hospice would be glad to have someone with peds experience on the team to handle the peds patients that come through. I think 10 years of experience is plenty.

My IV skills is incredibly rusty. I I never did feel comfortable with starting IVs. That would be a big problem right?

My IV skills is incredibly rusty. I I never did feel comfortable with starting IVs. That would be a big problem right?

I have never seen an IV placed for a hospice pt . I'm not saying it never could happen but I'd be surprised. Now, having a PICCOLO or central line already in place - usually r/t chemo- is a nice thing to have on hand for giving certain meds, usually opioids .

So .... No worries on that front.

I agree with Chopwood, we use SQ ports instead. You will get training in all that stuff anyway.

I have never seen an IV placed for a hospice pt . I'm not saying it never could happen but I'd be surprised. Now having a PICCOLO or central line already in place - usually r/t chemo- is a nice thing to have on hand for giving certain meds, usually opioids . So .... No worries on that front.[/quote']

Piccolo! I hate the auto correct function.

I meant to say saxophone - preferably a tenor.

You know they have such a nice rich sound, it really classes the joint up!

TammyG said it perfectly. You sound like a perfect fit for hospice with the experience you have. There is very little peds experience with most hospices, I think. Thankfully, too. Everybody at my hospice cringes when a child is brought on service. A stressful situation becomes even more so when the person dying is one that has barely begun to live.

I lost a child. I don't know how I would handle a pediatric hospice case because my difference was my son died because of SIDS. I can't imagine having to know your child could die and you don't know when.

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