I'm considering hospice, help!

[Sbhayes09, ADN, RN]

So I'm currently staffing a covid testing site and what was supposed to be a temporary assignment has become much more long term. I'm exploring my options for a bigger challenge. I like to be able to make my own schedule and have quite a few friends in hospice. I've done a couple of clinical rotations within it but other than that, have little to no experience with hospice nursing. So spill the beans, what do you love about it? Thanks guys! 

[fashionablylayt]

Well it’s been a few days and no one has chimed in soooo... 

I never ever thought I would get into home hospice work, but have been at it just over a month. I honestly love it! I get paid way better and spend quality time with people who are actually grateful for the care. It is what I wanted nursing to be. I spend more time caring and less time worrying if I’m going to lose my license over something stupid like at the hospital. 
 

Things I don’t like? Supplies is cheap and slightly limited. Sometimes I encounter lazy workers at nursing homes or within my company. Lastly, my company has terrible training. But I learn as I go with no harm or foul! I hope to never return to the stress filled nights on a med-surg floor. 

[limitless-visions]

Hi I'm awaiting a offer as a Hospice CM I have never done hospice so what's a bad day like 

[moonunit1130]

I have been a nurse for 8 years in various inpatient and outpatient settings. I made the switch to hospice 9 months ago and I love it! There is a lot less stress overall, though some days are harder than others. Benefits from a job perspective are that you often have a lot more freedom to arrange your schedule and you’re given a lot more independence. The success/satisfaction of your patient often is not soured by a bad experience with the nurse who just left or was there yesterday. You build a relationship and rapport with your patient and their family. You have the time to do the “nice” things for your patient—fluffing pillows, reading, talking, etc.—because you get to dedicate the whole time of the visit to that patient, and your primary objective is to make them happy. You get to focus exclusively on their comfort, which is what I enjoy doing. I always hated telling someone who was exhausted after surgery and a sleepless night that they HAVE to get out of bed, or a heart failure patient who is thirsty that they “aren’t allowed” to have anything else to drink. Even when you have difficult visits, you have the drive time between to decompress between visits. From a personal perspective, every hospice agency I interviewed with touted a flexible schedule, and that has been my experience. My managers are so awesome about letting me take an afternoon off to study for an exam, or a morning off to go to a kid’s event, etc. The answer is always yes, even when I don’t have enough PTO as long as my work gets done and I don’t abuse the privilege. The only thing I didn’t like about my job at first was being on call, but we have since gotten a call nurse and don’t have to do that anymore. I think a lot of agencies are moving toward having call staff. There are days where a visit you thought would take 45 minutes unexpectedly takes 2 1/2 hours. There are days where we get admissions, or a patient you thought was stable dies unexpectedly, and it throws your schedule off and you work late. In my opinion, though, the stress of those days that come here and there are NOTHING to the stress in a hospital. Good luck with whatever choice you make!