Not doing what I was hired for

[MomRN0913]

Another vent again. I was hired as a hospice nurse into my company 5 months ago. I was told there would be " a little bit of palliative care". Well, its only me the supervisor and the director in the hospice division of our HH company because they can't keep. Uses ( one left after me being there for 3 weeks) and that can't find anyone. So I am stuck with all of the palliative care. I hate palliative care. I do hospice revisits, but my intention was to be a hospice nurse, as I was told, not the person to just pick up the crap no one else wants to do. Almost 6 mo ths and I haven't done a hospice admission or pronounced. My supervisor knowingly dumps the most awful patients on me that she opens up and announces " I hate this patient, you go see it". I am the dump job nurse, left busting my butt to see the patients no one else wants to see, not even what I was hired for. And my supervisor said " get ready, the palliatives are picking up and they are all yours"So, tomorrow is a progress meeting with the supervisor, director and educator. I have mentioned my desire to really the lean the hospice that I desire to do, they say " yes, we'll start doing it, and they never do. I want to say something again. I am at wits end at this Job, sick of working my butt off and charting all the time on my own time. My happiest times in this last few months I have worked here was in the last 3 weeks where I had 10 days off for a lap chole! It's the only time I have felt free and destresser. Not worrying about having to wake up at the crack of dawn to do paperwork or going to roach infested homes of dirty people who can't take care of themselves and no one else wants to see. My tolerance is gone. I feel like I'm gong to say everything I mean tomorrow and it won't be good.I'm a former icu nurse. Loved it there and had to leave because I couldn't do shift work with my family situation. It's been aMost 2 years since I've been gone and I'm friendly everyone there and they say all I have to do is ask if I want to come back. It's a great system. I wish I could figure out a way to do it. With all that ranting I lost sight of the question. Should I speak up tomorrow? I chose hospic for a reason. I did not want to be a palliative care nurse. I don't mind doing it when needed, I'm a team player, but I want to do what I was hired to do and have a passion for.

[amoLucia]

You have a poor attitude re what you call DUMP pts. (You also use the words CRAP and AWFUL and DIRTY.) You need to get out of your position NOW. It hasn't been what you expected and wanted and it has taken its toll on you.

Regardless of how discouraged I've been at times, I've never considered pts low-class and beneath my care. Sorry, but that's the judgmental attitude that's coming across as you vent. Too much negativity for your own wellbeing, but more importantly, for the pts at your agency. They deserve better.

Take some time off and make a change.

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

With your attitude the way it is, you don't need to keep your current job. Hospice care makes me think of utmost respect and care in the final times of a person's life, and you cannot provide great care if you feel the way you do.

Roaches don't make the person bad. I'm sure they are ill. Otherwise they wouldn't be on hospice. Before you judge remember that those patients depend on you. If you cannot be dependable, quit so maybe they can get someone who is.

[amoLucia]

With your attitude the way it is, you don't need to keep your current job. Hospice care makes me think of utmost respect and care in the final times of a person's life, and you cannot provide great care if you feel the way you do.

Roaches don't make the person bad. I'm sure they are ill. Otherwise they wouldn't be on hospice. Before you judge remember that those patients depend on you. If you cannot be dependable, quit so maybe they can get someone who is.

Thank you for echo-ing my opinion - I hoped I was interpreting the post wrong.

[angel337, MSN, RN]

I am actually shocked by your post. Maybe I am ignorant about what hospice nurses do, but I thought palliative care was part of it. My mother was palliative care and it chills me to think that it was possible for a nurse with your outlook to think she was a "crap" patient. My mother's home was very clean and organized, and I can understand how you may feel going in to a dirty home but patients that are in their last days should never be referred to this way. i agree with above post that you need to get away from this position or maybe take a break from patient care all together. We all are going to die one day and I hope no one looks at you this way if you are on the one needing hospice.

[edmia, BSN, RN]

Maybe you don't really understand the role of the hospice nurse. I didn't realize there was a distinction between palliative care and hospice. I always thought of it as a combination of care.

I suggest you find a job that suits you better. Hospice isn't about "pronouncing"...

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[Good Morning, Gil]

I really don't think the OP has a poor attitude. Her attitude is the product of a poor working environment. She is getting dumped on, and from what is sounds like, her supervisor is knowingly doing it because she doesn't want the most difficult cases.

Yes, it's very sad when people can't take care of themselves, and have roach infested homes, but it's also understandable why the OP wouldn't want to go to a roach infested home on a daily basis even if she does feel empathy for the people. I'm sure she expected that sometimes as a home visit RN, but you should also get decent cases sometimes, too.

Just like in the hospital. Nobody should get the "bad" assignments all of the time, but we all know there's a hierarchy. But, that's how it should be. Someone who has been there 30 years shouldn't have to take the worst assignments, at least not often; seniority should mean something.

OP, sorry about your situation with your supervisor. Hoping you find something else you enjoy.

[nursel56]

To borrow a phrase I heard here a few weeks ago, your post makes my heart hurt.

Feeling that one gets dumped on has nothing to do with the characterization of "dirty, awful people".

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I also was unaware of a distinction between hospice and palliative patients. Apparently there is, and the "preferred" patient is the hospice patient. Why is that?

[SoundRN7]

I'm sorry you find yourself in a position where you are not doing what you were hired to do. Hating to go to work is not a good feeling. I do think that you should be assertive and speak up, respectfully of course. However, due to a lack of employees at your agency, it doesn't sound like speaking up will do much if any good. Perhaps the time to find a different job is now.

If you happen to be in the central Ohio area I know a nurse who would jump at the chance to have your job, me. I would feel even more compelled to see those patients that others don't want to see. Though the roaches would freak me out a bit.:)

[Elladora]

I wanted so badly to find something in your post that would make me sympathize with you. Instead I found myself getting chills, and not the good kind, over the fact that you are upset because you haven't gotten to pronounce (amongst many, many other things that bothered me in your post). The kind of "dirty" people you are describing are the ones that most likely need someone to give a damn about them. It saddens (and sickens) me to think that someone with your attitude is taking care of someone that is at such a vulnerable point in their life. For the sake of those under your "care", PLEASE seek an immediate career change. You would be doing everyone involved a favor, yourself included.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

You are doing the job you were hired to do. It isn't unreasonable to expect that if you were hired by a visiting hospice organization that you will be expected to visit people in their homes. Clearly, the role isn't what you envisioned. For your sake, and your patients, you need to quit and find something else.