Interviews

S. FL Baptist in Plant City is part of the BayCare System, along with several other large area hospitals. Their pay and benefits are all similar. Go to baycare.org for all their info. Lakeland Regional is well respected and very hi-tech. Check them out @ lrmc.com. Both Lakeland and Plant City are small communities (relative to Tampa) with a significant rural component. Ask lots of questions when you interview, and see which one feels right for you.

thanks for the reply.

I will being coming from a rural area and like the atmosphere in

the smaller hospitals.

I see that you have hospice listed as one of your specialities, I have

thought oncology or hospice as a different avenue in nursing.

Went to a seminar recently given by a Hospice nurse of about 30 years, very impressed.

What do you have to say about getting started in hospice?

crrn03

I work for Lifepath Hospice based in Tampa, which serves Plant City. We are also affiliated with Good Shepherd Hospice in Polk Co (Lakeland) that services more rural communities. Look at the websites goodshepardhospice.org and lifepath-hospice.org. Both have lots of info about each organization, as well as job openings. Hospice is a great place to work, and there are so many different things to do. You can work in a Hospice House, which is more like a boutique hotel than a facility. You can work with an IDT team, have an assigned caseload of patients you see each week. You can work in telephone triage, and take calls from patients, families, and team members after hours nights or weekends. You can work on a weekend field team, and visit patients in their homes only on weekends. Or, you could be on the admissions team, and see patients who may be appropriate for hospice care. I work in Continuous Care, where we spend the entrie shift with one patient in their home or faclity. (Only LPNs and HHAs are used in CC.) I have also done shifts in the hospice houses, and made home visits for the teams when they've been short handed. Check out the websites, and give a call to the recuriters. Sometimes there are positions available that are not listed on the website.

PS. It's REALLY HOT down here now, and it rains every afternoon. Give yourself extra time to get where you're going, just in case of weather delay.

Is the Hospice House, a facility that pts go to for palliative care instead of staying at home. Not sure if wording is right, but my ex- mother-in-law went to a facility in Orlando during her last hours, because she did not want to die at home.

Hospice House is for end of life, as well as caregiver respite and acute symptom management. I haven't been to the Good Shepherd houses but I imagine they're similar to the Lifepath Hospice Houses in Sun City and Temple Terrace; small inn-like atmosphere, hardwood floors, private rooms, "real" furniture in the rooms, and porches with rocking chairs. (And, the chef @ TT makes awesome meatloaf.:))

:wink2:Thank you so much for all your info. I saw a posting for the sun city Hospice House, but it would be a 50 mile drive from where I am looking

to live. I would like to do something like that. I think that I will see what

they have to offer around the Orlando area or inbetween Orlando and Lakeland. Any suggestions?

Thanks again,

crrn2003

Both hospitals are great! South Florida Plant City is pretty small compared to Lakeland (LRMC)- but you get that nice home-town feeling! What kind of specialties are you looking for? Obviously Lakeland is going to have more - PM me for more info if you need it!