new graduate advice

[vic.10]

Hello to all,

I am a new nursing graduate and was hired to be a hospice nurse right after my hospice preceptorship. I love hospice and always wanted to work for hospice, but was told by many local nurses that hospice is not the best path a new graduate should take. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I want to add that I have been a CNA for 5 years and a Medical Assistant for 4years and my employer thinks I succeeded during my preceptorship. I have not started at the hospice yet.

thank you

[SierraBravo]

Congrats on your new job, but I agree with the fact that hospice isn't an ideal place to start for a new grad. For starters, you won't be developing critical skills that you would otherwise learn in a hospital like acute changes to a patient's assessment, variety of medications and IV's, IV pumps, dressings, what do do in an emergency (patient codes or goes into respiratory arrest), time management, etc... If your goal is to never work in a hospital, then this is a good route to take. But if you want to later work in a hospital or acute care setting, you may (or may not) have a difficult time getting a job. Many people will take a hospital job for a year or two to develop their skills and then move into something like home care or hospice. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but think long term about what your goals are, or might be in the future.

[vic.10]

Thank you very much for your advice. I see now why nurses told me that hospice is not the best choice right out of school. Yes, my goal is to become a certified ICU nurse.