Just sharing

[lauriepat, ASN, RN]

Hi all, i am an lpn in rn school. I am working in an alf. Just wanted to share my little bit of hospice experience and how i enjoy working w hospice pts now.

I went to nursing school while i was in high school. My very first clinical i was 17, and that very first day we did post mortem care, and it scared the heck out of me.

3/4 years later i started working at my current job. My first hospice pt moved in for a week then passed. I gave SL morphine for the first time and his eyes rolled in the back of his head, this made my hospice fear even worse.

Recently, one our well known residents was put on hospice. He declined quickly. One night i helped the aides clean him up and after they left i did mouth care and spent time with him.

I got such a good, odd feeling from this, like it felt right. Like i was making a difference.

(Not to sound corny :)) the next am he passed. I was so glad i got to spend some of his last hours with him. It is an honor to take care of someone before they leave our world. I commend all of you hospice nurses...and i think i might have found the specialty for me.

[catlvr]

LauriePat, what you said doesn't sound corny to me; I consider it an honor to spend time with someone in their last hours and to make sure that they are comfortable as they transition to whatever comes next. When I worked in LTC, I had quite a few patients decline and die - I did everything possible to make them comfortable and encourage their family to participate; helps them to feel more positively about the death. Thanks for the care that you give!

[wannabecnl]

I think that's awesome, and it's a reminder to all nurses considering a new area to give it a chance. If you had let those first few experiences scare you off hospice for good, what a loss that would have been to your patients and to your own career.

You are making a difference. Every time you treat someone with dignity, listen to them, and address their needs, you are making a HUGE difference in their lives. Blessings to you in your journey to becoming an RN--you'll have opportunities to help someone every single day.