Newbie Hospice RN

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Specializes in CHPN Hospice & Palliative Nurse.

OK, so I've lurked on this forum for long enough....and now for me to share a bit :)

I started Hospice Nursing in Febuary (after working on a Med/Surg unit for 9 months after graduation) and WOW!!!! What an experience it has been. The last several months have been amazing, thought provoking, happy, sad, perplexing, and life changing. THose are just a few words that barely begin to explain what I do on a daily basis.

When I started, I thought my "job" would be about death....far from it. Yes, all of my patients are dying, but most importantly I am assisting them to LIVE until the end. Yes, I believed in a spiritual world prior to Hospice, but not like I do today. I have had many patients who in a dazed and confused state call out to deceased loved ones. But today was different. Today, I had a very lucid and "with it" patient call out for her mother and when I asked her if her mother was in the room she nodded "Yes" That was just the beginning of a very real and almost surreal conversation between me and my patient regarding her mother's presence.

Then, the conversations with the family regarding "Right now, feeding her physical body it not what she needs, but we need to feed her spiritual body." i.e. being present, expressing love, hard times, funny times, life experiences in general with their loved one

I have found that the most difficult task is assisting families to hear and understand what I'm trying to explain. I don't push, I try to gently coax. You can see the distant look in their eyes and the racing thoughts of what was her favorite food? What did she ask for last night? And I understand their plight food is love, food is comfort, food is life.........

I am told things that I wish I was ignorant of and truely sometimes ignorance is bliss. But now that I have been entrusted with bits of family information I have to decide who I am to notify and how I can help/assist the person/s in need.

There are plenty of other things that I could mention, but I guess what my main point is that I am doing what I was meant to do. I am a nurse and doing what I always thought nursing should be. The other day it was raining and I'm walking up to a patient's house under my big umbrella, feeling as if I were in another era and that "this was too good to be true". I'm not saying that other areas of nursing are not as equally fulfilling to those that have the same feelings that I do about Hospice nursing, but what a blessing it is for me and my fellow hospice nurses.

I hope that my experience so far will be of some help to those of you who are interested in Hospice Nursing. I will be happy to share my limited experiences with you ladies and guys if you have any questions!

Jessica

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Specializes in Family.

That sounds awesome! I may one day be interested in hospice.

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jessica, you truly have what it takes to be a hospice nurse. do not let anyone tell you different, or let anything take you away from it. i am sure many can learn from you.

one thing i have seen is what is termed "angel eyes"....the patient "sees" loved ones who have passed over. when you see it, you will understand the term.

suebird :)

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Specializes in CHPN Hospice & Palliative Nurse.

Suebird3,

Thank you for the affirmation. It's very much appreciated!

Southernlpn,

You'll just know when it's the right time to enter Hospice. I'm glad that I could share part of what I have experienced.

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Jessica: My story is similar to yours-I worked med-surg for 9 mos. While one day driving down the road, I saw a hospice house and pulled in and applied. They offered me a job that p.m. I started w/them in March of this year. I'm loving the job!! I know this is what I was meant to do! I like my job and it shows. I can "feel" the spiritual side of life. It's just a feeling that is hard to explain.

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Specializes in Family.
Suebird3,

Thank you for the affirmation. It's very much appreciated!

Southernlpn,

You'll just know when it's the right time to enter Hospice. I'm glad that I could share part of what I have experienced.

Thanks for sharing with us! For quite some time I thought I would go in to critical care, but now I don't know.

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Specializes in CHPN Hospice & Palliative Nurse.
Jessica: My story is similar to yours-I worked med-surg for 9 mos. While one day driving down the road, I saw a hospice house and pulled in and applied. They offered me a job that p.m. I started w/them in March of this year. I'm loving the job!! I know this is what I was meant to do! I like my job and it shows. I can "feel" the spiritual side of life. It's just a feeling that is hard to explain.

That's great!!! Our work is definately a calling. It's so difficult to explain why we are able to do what we do....

Jessica

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Jessica,

I feel the same way - now that I'm in hospice, I finally feel like I'm a real nurse. It's a good fit for my personality - it's where I am supposed to be. Isn't this a great feeling?

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Specializes in CHPN Hospice & Palliative Nurse.
Jessica,

I feel the same way - now that I'm in hospice, I finally feel like I'm a real nurse. It's a good fit for my personality - it's where I am supposed to be. Isn't this a great feeling?

:monkeydance::pumpiron:Most definately!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ER, ICU, Hospice.

jessica,

Beautiful post! You hit the nail on the head. It is about life, not death. And I think that as time goes on and your experiences and learning sink deeper and deeper into the essence of your being your clients will sense that in you and "hear" more of what you say.

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I work in Med/Surg but we are also the hospital's Oncology and inpatient Hospice floor. I have dealt with quite a bit of hospice/DNR/"comfort care" patients since I started last July and those are the patients that have truly made me feel important as a nurse. I have considered making the switch to hospice nursing but I am weary of making that change. Questions such as what if I end up not liking it? What if I can't handle it? etc. I find that the hardest part is handling family members, but that is also the most fulfilling as well... depends on the situation. I know that I definately do not want to stay in Med/Surg forever and I'm just trying to find my "calling". It's not easy...

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