How did you know hospice nursing was right for you?

4boysmama · Dec 28, 2015

I knew hospice was for me before I even started with an actual/official hospice job. I worked LTC and the patients/cases I felt most invigorated/challenged/passionate about were those at end of life that we were doing palliative care for in the SNF setting.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2015

Almost immediately. I'm not saying I had a religious epiphany or anything like that, but I had been in acute care for for over 20 years and embraced the "comfort, not cure" philosophy of Hospice.

I think it's some of the best nursing I've done.

annabanana2 · Jan 1, 2016

Hospice and home health is the same thing where I am, so when I started in home health I found that I loved working with clients who were referred for palliative care. To me it seems like the most client-centred kind of care there is. I get to do exactly what the client and family want, nothing more and nothing less. I like that it's not flashy and exciting (that sounds weird, I know, but it's true). There's not a lot of glory in helping people die but I find it incredibly satisfying when a client has died the way they wanted. I don't know, it just seems to fit with my personality somehow.

nutella, MSN, RN · Jan 1, 2016

I applied and shadowed. When I shadowed with the home hospice nurse I liked the complexity of hospice and palliative care. The amount of problem solving, teaching, and critical thinking was right up my alley. Also, I liked that I was able to focus on one patient/family at a time. I do think that my extensive work experience helped me. I pronounced my first patient after around 3 weeks and that was when I felt like a "real" hospice nurse - though it took probably at least 6 months to feel comfortable and another 6 to be really super comfortable - there is just a lot to learn when you do both - home hospice and palliative care.

It does not bother me that it is all end of life care - I think that this is a great specialty with a lot of room for personal and professional development.

Having said that - being very organized and having good boundaries is very important, otherwise work load can become unmanageable.

nurseontheway · Jan 2, 2016

I have always felt a calling towards hospice. I like that it provides care for a patient and family at a very crucial time in their life. I think that everyone deserves to die with dignity and even though we are not trying to cure someone we are managing symptoms and providing comfort. I feel blessed and honored to help someone in this stage of their life.