Hello all, I am a night ER nurse and I felt that I pretty much had enough of this crazy lifestyle, so I decided to interview for numerous case management positions including facilities and insurance companies. I actually came across hospice case manager position, and I became quite interested in things that it promises: good hours, good benefits, good pay, huge autonomy, bosses seem super cool, and not as much direct patient care compared to the ER, not as crazy like it either.
My question to you hospice specialists, is that is hospice nurse and hospice case manager different? My company is contracted to clients in home or facility (SNF, nx home, etc) and requires me to visit them. I accepted this position because I want to learn case management, not more bedside nursing or direct patient care, I already have that experience, and that is not my intention going into this. I want this to become a stepping stone experience to further my opportunity in case management, and if all I will be doing is more bedside nursing tasks, then that is not what I am looking for. What advices do you have for me? Thank you.
Specializes in Hospice. Worked ER, Med-Surg, ICU & ALF-Dementia.
I have not read all the comments here so I will give my own. You seem to be thinking too much of the words Hospice Manager. I am an RN, and I work as a Case Manager for hospice and we are loosely called RNCM. Now, on to the Case Manager tag. We all know that every patient is unique. Since they are unique from each other, their care is individualized...well,as much as we can anyway. And since each pt care is individualized, we call each a "case". And you manage them. Thus, since you are the one that "case manage" each individual and unique case, you are the "case manager". Since this is hospice, it will be different from a hospital setting, since we are trying to make life comfortable for each "case", as these patients technically have only less than 6 months to live. And I saw that you were concerned with the "hard labor" of being a unit nurse in a hospital. Yes and no...you have the option to either leave your pt in a dirty mess during a visit and wait for the pt's family, caregiver or even your own hospice aide to clean them up or you can choose to be proactive, compassionate and get yourself out of more trouble or work (skin breakdown, more pain, uti, etc) by just doing a part of your nursing job. And one more thing, case managing involves collaboration with your hospice aide, chaplain, msw and medical director or pt pcp. I've done office, I've done hospital, and so far, I enjoyed hospice the most. And speaking of the thinking part, you use a lot of that in hospice.
Leolib, we tried telling her this exact same thing. However, she chose to ignore all the explanations, and kept talking about how being a "Hospice Case Manager" will help her get to what she really wants: Insurance Case Management.
She actually accepted a Hospice position, simply because they contacted her first. I fear for the patients and families who are going to be cared for by someone who doesn't understand what Hospice is all about, and only wants it to be a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
My hope is that she will find out during orientation and leave before she does any damage.
Leolib, we tried telling her this exact same thing. However, she chose to ignore all the explanations, and kept talking about how being a "Hospice Case Manager" will help her get to what she really wants: Insurance Case Management.
She actually accepted a Hospice position, simply because they contacted her first. I fear for the patients and families who are going to be cared for by someone who doesn't understand what Hospice is all about, and only wants it to be a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
My hope is that she will find out during orientation and leave before she does any damage.
jensmom, thank you for your incredibly positive and encouraging comment. with this attitude of mine that seems to "ignore all the explanations" provided so lovingly by one such as yourself, I managed to become someone whom the previous director personally recall as "one of the top performers in my department", hence my reasoning that those who get stuff done will always get stuff done. Your skewed impression about me from just few posts explains your vast knowledge of human psychology and your unbiased view on others, I'm very impressed how you could get all my motives just from couple posts.
I don't recognize your username in my thread, probably because I have selectively ignored what you wrote most possibly due to (judging from your most recent post) your advice being corrosive, hateful, and lamely unhelpful. I appreciate advices like Leolibs, but from kind such as yourself, who enjoys bringing down others because you decide to make up your own stories, I politely want to excuse myself from. Please don't post if all you're going to be is a negative, hateful, midlife crisis mother.
jensmom, thank you for your incredibly positive and encouraging comment. with this attitude of mine that seems to "ignore all the explanations" provided so lovingly by one such as yourself, I managed to become someone whom the previous director personally recall as "one of the top performers in my department", hence my reasoning that those who get stuff done will always get stuff done. Your skewed impression about me from just few posts explains your vast knowledge of human psychology and your unbiased view on others, I'm very impressed how you could get all my motives just from couple posts.
I don't recognize your username in my thread, probably because I have selectively ignored what you wrote most possibly due to (judging from your most recent post) your advice being corrosive, hateful, and lamely unhelpful. I appreciate advices like Leolibs, but from kind such as yourself, who enjoys bringing down others because you decide to make up your own stories, I politely want to excuse myself from. Please don't post if all you're going to be is a negative, hateful, midlife crisis mother.
Wow, get off your high horse. Number one, you do NOT understand what a Hospice Case Manager does-it isn't traditional Case Management, like in the ER or on a general floor.
The fact that the ONLY reason you want to do it is so you can use it as a stepping stone to something bigger and better is what bothers me.
You are a shining example of a Special Snowflake who wants everyone to agree with her, no matter how misguided her logic is. Sorry, not sorry.
You aren't going to learn what you should for traditional Case Management in this job, and your patients and families are going to get the short end of the stick.
Also, you claim you don't recognize my username on "your" thread, yet you replied to me a few times and were actually cordial.
Wow, get off your high horse. Number one, you do NOT understand what a Hospice Case Manager does-it isn't traditional Case Management, like in the ER or on a general floor.
The fact that the ONLY reason you want to do it is so you can use it as a stepping stone to something bigger and better is what bothers me.
You are a shining example of a Special Snowflake who wants everyone to agree with her, no matter how misguided her logic is. Sorry, not sorry.
You aren't going to learn what you should for traditional Case Management in this job, and your patients and families are going to get the short end of the stick.
Also, you claim you don't recognize my username on "your" thread, yet you replied to me a few times and were actually cordial.
I kept everything cordial because there was no reason whatsoever to be impolite, rude, and ugly to someone who was giving me sound advice. Your post above was very judging, and at best, very insulting to me. You haven't even met me, and yet you harshly judge me and come as far as completely insulting me on personal levels, I'm sorry, do we even know each other?
I am indeed tired of the traditional bedside role at a busy ER where the nurses have to run 60 beds with 3 techs on good night, where nurses pretty much have to do everything, plus doing these shifts at nights, surrounded by angry mob of people, negativity, etc, who would want to keep doing that? Would you? but to insult me personally was out of line. Yes, this is not the type of case management I may be interested in, but you never know if I could stick with it or not, I'm sure you didn't do what you do from the get-go out of nursing school, do you see me blaming you for that? I was named "one of the best performers" by the director for one thing only, and that is getting the job done; I like getting jobs done right, and that's who I am; you don't know me, so why spew out such hatred against me just based on few words?
thank you everyone for the advice, I will admit that yes, initially when I got into hospice "case manager" I thought this was less "nursing" and more "case managing", but from inputs of those who are in it, my perception was wrong. Either way, I'm okay with that. Sure, like you all say, I will do some bedside nursing, do some physical work, but I needed some change anyways from traditional in-patient role, I will make more money than every dreamed of working day shift at hospital job, I get to sleep and not hurt all the time, there are so many positives, and please, just because I personally do not like bedside nursing and physical labor, that doesn't mean I am determined to do poorly of them!? just like I hated doing it in hospital, but did them anyway because that was the right thing to do. It's exciting change.
thank you everyone for the advice, I will admit that yes, initially when I got into hospice "case manager" I thought this was less "nursing" and more "case managing", but from inputs of those who are in it, my perception was wrong. Either way, I'm okay with that. Sure, like you all say, I will do some bedside nursing, do some physical work, but I needed some change anyways from traditional in-patient role, I will make more money than every dreamed of working day shift at hospital job, I get to sleep and not hurt all the time, there are so many positives, and please, just because I personally do not like bedside nursing and physical labor, that doesn't mean I am determined to do poorly of them!? just like I hated doing it in hospital, but did them anyway because that was the right thing to do. It's exciting change.
No one said you would do poorly at your new role. I think we we all concerned that this job was not going to be what you were bargaining on. Hospice nursing is not easy and comes with its own unique set if challenges, however, I can't imagine doing anything else!
Specializes in Hospice. Worked ER, Med-Surg, ICU & ALF-Dementia.
Lol... Rearview, I would like to agree with most of these wonderful nurses that posted in this thread. Hospice is a different kind of animal, but the main idea is the same as all other kinds of nursing... Taking care of our patients. I guess I am more forgiving as I used to work in the ICU and ER before jumping ship to being a facility nurse that is more office based than hands. I dealt with a lot of hospice and home health cases though in my facility that I was very intrigued and thought about how hard can it be. So I jumped ship again and yes, it is hard but enjoyable and fulfilling in hospice. You will never leave the hard labor part of nursing, bedside care always presents itself every visit, family and medication issues are always by the corner waiting to jump on you. But you get to be independent, manage about 10 to 20 pts a week (yes, I had 18 before... Thats was hard...esp when I had 2 actively dying ones Ive put on CC), but i do get real breaks, think independently and get home on time. I love what I am doing now... Hopefully, you will too.
Jack Hazz, BSN, RN
58 Posts
I have not read all the comments here so I will give my own. You seem to be thinking too much of the words Hospice Manager. I am an RN, and I work as a Case Manager for hospice and we are loosely called RNCM. Now, on to the Case Manager tag. We all know that every patient is unique. Since they are unique from each other, their care is individualized...well,as much as we can anyway. And since each pt care is individualized, we call each a "case". And you manage them. Thus, since you are the one that "case manage" each individual and unique case, you are the "case manager". Since this is hospice, it will be different from a hospital setting, since we are trying to make life comfortable for each "case", as these patients technically have only less than 6 months to live. And I saw that you were concerned with the "hard labor" of being a unit nurse in a hospital. Yes and no...you have the option to either leave your pt in a dirty mess during a visit and wait for the pt's family, caregiver or even your own hospice aide to clean them up or you can choose to be proactive, compassionate and get yourself out of more trouble or work (skin breakdown, more pain, uti, etc) by just doing a part of your nursing job. And one more thing, case managing involves collaboration with your hospice aide, chaplain, msw and medical director or pt pcp. I've done office, I've done hospital, and so far, I enjoyed hospice the most. And speaking of the thinking part, you use a lot of that in hospice.