New to Hospice starting Monday

Specialties Hospice

Published

Specializes in Med/Surg; Critical Care/ ED.

Gosh it's been SO long since I posted to allnurses, although I visit all the time. I'm starting a new job Monday, as a Case Manager for the local non-profit hospice. I am SO excited. Hospice was my long term goal when I was in school, but in the mean time I found and fell in love with critical care, life got in the way, blah blah blah. But I was forced to make a career change and here I am!

Monday just starts the organization orientation which lasts for 2 weeks and then I go into the field with my preceptor. I am sure I will have tons and tons of questions as this is an entirely new field for me and a completely different focus from acute care. But I do have 2 questions:

What do you all consider to be a reasonable orientation for a complete hospice novice?

They will pay .50/mile. Is that the norm? I have nothing to compare it to and am just curious.

Thanks!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in hospice.

2 weeks in the office will feel like forever!!! We do two weeks, 1 in the office and one in the field. Usually by then the nurses are ready to get out on their own!We only get .45 a mile so you are doing good.Good- luck, you will love it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg; Critical Care/ ED.

Really only one field week, even with no hospice experience?? Whoa. I've been looking at other threads and there is SO much I don't know. I hope there's someone around I can call! lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU,HOME HEALTH, HOSPICE, HEALTH ED.

Who are they kidding? Hospice/home visits is so different from ICU nursing. 1 month orientation---1 week of observing visits and casemanager tag a long; one week of visits with other teammembers--MSW, chaplain, HHAs, Pharmacist, Hospice MD and director, other RNs including pm and night and weekend work orientation; 1 week focusing on paperwork with minimal visits (2 maybe) and a last week with almost full day of visits with a mentor 1-2 hours at end of day. Then another month of someone as resource...to ask questions, review you work and give input to all the things that did not come up while on orientation.

It is incredible, rewarding work, but most of us believe it took about a year to really know and perform the job well.

Good luck. Look at the thread--recommended reading for hospice--it has some great resources for learning the full scope of the work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HOSPICE,MED-SURG, ONCOLOGY,ORTHOPAEDICS.

A big who-hoo to Finn! :yeah: A proper orientation program! Ours is very similar--a mentor/resource is invaluable and worth their weight in gold!! I am still in this profession, 8 years later because I had the most awesome mentor as a hospice nurse-case manager. She hadn't been in the field much longer than I, but her dedication was phenominal!! If she didn't know the answer, we found it together! I can't tell you how many nights we were still at our desks till the wee hours of the morning! She is now a hospice administrator with another company(as am I) and I still rely on her as a resource at times. (S.K., you know who you are!) A proper orientation anywhere is the key to success! Welcome to the profession!

Parrot Head--PS--our company pays federal reimbursement for mileage (currently 58.5/mile) but if your company does not pay full mileage, keep good records and claim it on your taxes!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

I did 2 weeks organization/computer orientation and then 2-3 part days to shadow visits and a few admissions, because I was hired on weekend baylor the only mandatory part was the 2 wks full time and then whenever I could fit in days which was usually 9-2 a couple of days a week. I did that for maybe a month then I was on my own- on the weekend with the on-call phone as well.I had no prior HH or Hospice experience but a lot of onco inpt experience. I felt pretty ready by then, we get .48/mile

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment