how hard or how easy is it to do hospice care?

[rn4ever?]

Hi. I would like to find out how hard or how easy is it to do hospice care compared to working in a hospital? What kind of training does an RN receive before she starts? Also, would you advise a new graduate (RN BSN) to get into hospice care? Thanks and have a great day!

[aimeee, BSN, RN]

Are you speaking of care managing a home hospice patient? Or working in an in-patient hospice facility? It is pretty universally recommended that you have a minimum of 1 year experience of oncology or med-surg nursing before attempting home hospice work because you work very independently and need solid skills and experience to draw upon. Most orientation programs are at least a month long. In-patient will vary depending on many variables. It is still best if you have other experience but there are those who have managed to be successful straight out of school...these would be exceptional candidates who had a very strong draw to hospice and mature spirit.

Harder or easier than hospital work? Those are very subjective terms. Hospice work is never easy but (stealing the Peace Corp slogan)it is the toughest job you'll ever love if it is the right fit for you. It allows you to use every skill you have, to truly care for the WHOLE patient, body, mind, and spirit. It can be extremely demanding and draining, but it can also be the most amazingly rewarding work in the world.

[rn4ever?]

Are you speaking of care managing a home hospice patient? Or working in an in-patient hospice facility? It is pretty universally recommended that you have a minimum of 1 year experience of oncology or med-surg nursing before attempting home hospice work because you work very independently and need solid skills and experience to draw upon. Most orientation programs are at least a month long. In-patient will vary depending on many variables. It is still best if you have other experience but there are those who have managed to be successful straight out of school...these would be exceptional candidates who had a very strong draw to hospice and mature spirit.

Harder or easier than hospital work? Those are very subjective terms. Hospice work is never easy but (stealing the Peace Corp slogan)it is the toughest job you'll ever love if it is the right fit for you. It allows you to use every skill you have, to truly care for the WHOLE patient, body, mind, and spirit. It can be extremely demanding and draining, but it can also be the most amazingly rewarding work in the world.

Thanks for enlightening me, aimeee. I was actualy referring to working in an in-patient hospice facility. What kind of working environment should one expect in that area? Can you share the most common "problems" one can experience when working in a hospice as a RN? Thanks.

[leslie :-D]

Thanks for enlightening me, aimeee. I was actualy referring to working in an in-patient hospice facility. What kind of working environment should one expect in that area? Can you share the most common "problems" one can experience when working in a hospice as a RN? Thanks.

the most common problems i have found is (1) unresolved pain (physical, emotional, spiritual) when the pt. dies. there are many variables as to why this happens. (2) conflict between pt and family: family wants to manage total care of pt., regardless of what pt wants. inexperienced nurses sometimes fall prey to the dominating personalities. our responsibility is to the patient, first and foremost. but you also need to deal with many family issues, demands, concerns, beliefs, anxieties, fears.....it goes on. many cases are grueling; you literally can be scraped off the floor when all is done.

but if your heart is truly, TRULY in hospice, it is indeed the toughest job you'll ever love.

leslie