Please Tell Me About Hospice Nursing...Quick!

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

I am an RN who has been looking for a contingent position to get my feet wet again after being out of the nursing field for the past five years. Jobs are not plentiful in my area, so I have applied for just about everything that is advertised as being contingent. My background is 10+ years of Med/Surg inpatient nursing. A local hospice where I applied for a contingent position on the night shift just left me a voice mail and now I am kind of freaking out. I have never worked hospice. What is it like? I am not afraid of working with dying patients, I have BTDT, but I am afraid about going back to work in general, I guess, and worried that I won't be able to handle hospice nursing if I get the job. Any advice, stories, etc.?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

What does BTDT mean?

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

Been there, done that.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Surgery.

There is a lot of good information regarding Hospice Nursing under the nursing specialty section of allnurses. :)

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

Thank you! I don't come to this forum all that often and I had forgotten about that. I will check it out.:)

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Specializes in Pediatric ICU,Education,Hospice,NICU.

Hi there--I am an experienced RN with 25+ years of PICU and Ambulatory Peds behind me. I made the switch (if it really has to be labeled) to hospice and palliative care 6 years ago with the opening of our facility here in northern California. Your timing for Hospice Nursing is excellent as this is a hot topic in nursing and medicine. You really need to review pain and symptom management guidelines throught the National Hospice Nurses Assn. site. There are several continuing ed articles available through them and the Society of Pediatric Nurses sites. Secondly, examine your own feelings about death and the dying process as your personal experiences with this issue often color your comfort level with the complicated ethical dilemmas in end of life care.

Good luck and enjoy a new way to express your compassion and well earned skills...

JeanMarie

George Mark Children's House

San Leandro California

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

Thank you very much. I am going to interview for the position and I am confident that I can do a great job and be an asset to the facility. :)

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Great thread. I start my capstone in the inpatient Hospice unit this month. I am very interested in the field (personal experience) and requested it, but now, however, I am nervous!

Good luck on the interview and let us all now how it goes!

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