Not sure if I should switch....

It should pay what you're making because you will work from 5 p Friday through 5 a Monday. 24/7. I love hospice but in no way would I take such a position. I'm too old and tired.

i am looking into hospice myself , been working in the hospital many years . i am getting older and can't do the 12 hour shifts anymore . i just want home health where i go see the pt's and come home. i could never do the 7 on and 7 off.. it would kill me . i hope you find the best for you , keep us posted

I work on call and my schedule is very flexible. I used to work critical care, but I also hate 12 hour shifts. Sometimes I will have a really long on call shift, but I do not get as tired as I did working 12 hr nights in critical care.:) I love hospice!

That sounds killer because on call can be heavy with making viists, doing late admissions, attending deaths etc. I would not take it. I know several hospice nurses that tired just doing weekend on call.

Having been both an on-call and case manager in hospice, on-call is definitely different and much more intense. As a case manager, a lot of the patients you see are doing fine, the visits are largely social. But on-call, you don't know the patients, everyone you see is having symptoms or getting admitted or close to death and there is a lot more stress on the part of the families. Plus there is a lot of time spent driving -- some nights I can put on 150-200 miles. And being woken up at 1 am for a call is definitely not easy on an older body. I need to be on-call now due to family obligations, and I do like it, but it doesn't capture a lot of what I love about hospice nursing.

It isn't 24/7. I'd be on call 5:30p until 8:30a for 7 days then off for 7. Just after hour nights, days off. After the last three days I just had in the ER, Im taking it. If anything I can try something else.....one of the many perks of being in nursing! :)

"Intense" in hospice Im sure is much different than the ER. Im sure it has it's moments, but when your juggling 2 critical patients and 1 demanding one at the same time, I'd rather drive 300 miles a night verses doing that! Staying up 12 hour nights sometimes not being able to eat, take bathroom breaks, or even sit, isn't easy either.....

I do prn at a hospital and prn for hospice. After 12 at the hospital I'm tired and sore.

I tend to be more tired after hospice visits, but not as physically sore.

I get the best of both. The adrenalin of acute care and the 1:1 attention for hospice.

I just recently left the ED for Palliative Care nursing--and LOVE it! For me, it was the best move ever!

Like you--I got tired of constantly thinking about turn around times and how fast I could get a pt out. I felt more like a waitress than a nurse.

In Palliative care, really speaking with patients and families is actually part of my job!

As my pt's nurse, I get to be supportive during end times--whether that's listening to them reminisce about their life, sitting with distraught family, or providing pain meds.

I make human, therapeutic connections that were totally impossible in the hurry-them-out-the-door ED. It's pretty amazing!