Hospice...hostile and toxic work environment!

Specialties Hospice

Published

After almost 2 years as a hospice case manager, I'm finding the work environment to be increasingly toxic. My coworkers are backstabbing and gossipy. The sad part is that administration and management are in on it too. I'm pretty much getting in "trouble" every other week over what they "heard" was said or done. On top of that on call is killing me and although the day is 8 to 5, we are obligated to the job from 7a to 7p....which means if a patient passes at 4:59, we go, even if we are not the person on call. No overtime. Call is one day a week and one weekend a month...sometimes more. Is this normal or is it just me? I love my patients and families and they love me...but I'm now in tears on Monday mornings before work. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

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I don't know what's going on but I would get gone. If the boss doesn't like you it doesn't get better.

Hugs.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

Hospice is way too stressful without a supportive team lifting you up.You are working with a crowd intent on tearing you down....Start the job hunting.

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Thank you for your advice! I am on the job hunt and trying to stay focused on the positives of hospice while I do it! I really do feel like I'm out there all by myself with no backup. And I agree, it's definitely a job that needs support and teamwork. It boggles my mind. There's so much more to this story than I can convey...two years worth of it. I wouldn't be the first person to leave this company because of the inept administration and rules that only apply to certain people at certain times. It's sad that I may have to leave a job I love d/t politics.

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There's always another job. No reason to love a job in a toxic environment.

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It is a crying shame that of all work environments, hospice has to be like this. Your coworkers and managers should be ashamed of themselves. Agree with the others, the quicker you are gone, the quicker you can heal. Best wishes.

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I have never heard of a hospice environment like that. RN CMs usually only see each other at team meetings every other week -- there is not time to gossip! Unless a family calls in to complain, the supervisor has no basis to complain about anything.

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Specializes in Hospice, Geriatrics, Wounds.
I have never heard of a hospice environment like that. RN CMs usually only see each other at team meetings every other week -- there is not time to gossip! Unless a family calls in to complain the supervisor has no basis to complain about anything.[/quote']

How long have you been in hospice??!!

Minus the gossip/backstabbing sounds JUST LIKE EBERY HOSPICE JOB IVE HAD.

The gossip/ backstabbing could be in any environment. Mainly environments with poor management. Sadly hospice is stressful without the extra bull.

Hospice has always been my calling; however, lately times have been extremely stressful r/t high staff turnover. I look like o could be a pt because of so much stress and being overworked repeatedly. At some point we have to decide which is more important. .....us or our pts. I'm choosing ME

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How long have you been in hospice??!!

Minus the gossip/backstabbing sounds JUST LIKE EBERY HOSPICE JOB IVE HAD.

About ten years with two different hospices. I have never seen any gossip or backstabbing. It could be that I am just not sensitive to it. I never noticed any in the hospital jobs that I had previous. But in hospice, you never see your coworkers. I guess you could gossip via telephone . . .

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TammyG, we usually go in to our office first thing in the morning, especially Mondays when we meet to talk about the what happened over the weekend with the patients. The difference is probably that it is a small hospice in a small town. If I need to do anything like faxing orders to be signed by doctors etc... I'm pretty much on my own so that would be a time when I'm at the office, also to pick up supplies. Ncnurse29, you are right to choose yourself because if you let them they will walk all over you! I think that's one reason why the higher ups have such a problem with me.... I'm pretty clear on the fact that I can't work too long after 5pm. There are a few that put the job before themselves and family and I'm just not willing to do that. You've got to take care of yourself first in order to take care of others. We preach this to our caregivers....but who is looking out for us?j

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Specializes in Hospice, Geriatrics, Wounds.

About ten years with two different hospices. I have never seen any gossip or backstabbing. It could be that I am just not sensitive to it. I never noticed any in the hospital jobs that I had previous. But in hospice, you never see your coworkers. I guess you could gossip via telephone . . .

Actually I was referring to the stressful environment. ...in which your coworkers and pt/pt families feel we as hospice nurses have no life other than hospice. I've changed by cell phone number numerous times (and need to again,) bc pt families call me day and night like I do this job 24/7. I keep forgetting to block my number when calling. However I have repeatedly reinforced the importance of not calling my phone but using call center. Falls on deaf ears.... I've gotten so I program pt numbers with *67 before every number since i can't seem to remember.

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Specializes in Hospice, Case Mgt., RN Consultant, ICU.
Actually I was referring to the stressful environment. ...in which your coworkers and pt/pt families feel we as hospice nurses have no life other than hospice. I've changed by cell phone number numerous times (and need to again,) bc pt families call me day and night like I do this job 24/7. I keep forgetting to block my number when calling. However I have repeatedly reinforced the importance of not calling my phone but using call center. Falls on deaf ears.... I've gotten so I program pt numbers with *67 before every number since i can't seem to remember.

Sounds like the problem is that your employer is not providing you with a cell phone or device like a Blackberry so you have to use your own private cell phone. This is dangerous for your patients besides keeping you potentially tied to your job 24/7. Do you have a triage nurse and on call nurses? That is who should be called after hours otherwise you have no boundaries and you will burn out.

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