LPN Hospice Nurse

[Mahogany Queen]

The hospice facility down the street from me needs an lpn (12hr shift 3 days a week). From your experience working in hospice, what does the lpn do? What skills are required?

[tnmarie]

Main duty is keeping the pts comfortable and helping the family and pts cope. Pain management is a biggie. The skills I used in hospice weren't that different than LTC or other places; you just focus more on palliative care. It can be emotionally draining, but I loved hospice nursing. Good luck if you decide to go for it :-).

[ShesanRN]

At our hospice (not inpatient), the LPNs conduct patient visits under the supervision of the RN/case manager (they see the RNs patients and report in to them any condition changes/new orders). When they are on call, there is always an RN on call during the shift as well, and they report to him or her when doing triage visits and taking orders. They aren't allowed to pronounce patients who pass away, nor are they able to work with "invasive" interventions such as the CADD pump. The scope of practice for LPNs in Indiana is pretty vague; our company has its own standards for what LPNs can/can not do. I would advise asking your question of whomever interviews you to gain a better sense of what your responsibilities will be. Good luck!