Preceptorship in Hospice?

[missy--kay]

Hello all and thank you for reading my post.

I am a 3rd semester ADN student who will graduate in May (if all goes well) and need to start thinking of where I would like to do my capstone/preceptorship. I lost my sis to cancer a few years ago and she died at an inpatient Hospice facility. Ever since then, my heart has been pulled to Hospice, in a way that I can't shake. Do you think that Hopsice would be a good fit for a preceptorship? I know that skills are still practiced, meds are still given and communication with docs, ect still take place. I would love your input/opinions. Thanks!

Melissa

[tewdles, RN]

Hello and welcome to nursing! The only comment I have is that new grad RNs with limited clinical experience are often uncomfortable with the field case management jobs as compared to the hospice facility positions. This is likely more to do with the level of autonomy that accompanies the field positions than anything else. New grads are certainly capable of functioning in a field case nurse position, but the hospice agency needs to be sensitive to the time that WILL be required for that nurse to develop the basic skill sets to function that independently. Preceptorship sounds like a good idea, good luck.

[caringtouch]

hoping,

My dream is to be a Hospice nurse as well. I knew this before even entering nursing school. I had an interview with them yesterday (fingers crossed) and their preceptorship program seems like it is excellent from what I was told about it. I was told it would last 6 weeks and that there would be tests to take along the way to make sure I was understanding everything, and most importantly (for me) that I would feel comfortable being able to work on my own by the time I finished. Hope this helps some. Good luck to you.

[Werblessed]

It's not impossible to go straight from school into this field...it's just that you are usually alone by the patient bedside with a bunch of family looking to you for answers on what is happening. With a year or two of hospital staff RN time under your belt, your clinical skills will be solid and your confidence in your nursing judgement and assessment abilities will be strong. Plus you'll have had a lot of practice calling Physician's for med orders and advocating for your patient's needs.

For your professional benefit and also the benefit of all the patients in your care during your long and illustrious nursing career...my vote is for 1-2 years of hospital nursing first so you can bring all of those wonderful and competent skills into SNFs, ALRs, ICUs and most times into the homes of hospice patients.

Best of luck to you both!

:hrnsmlys:

[missy--kay]

Thank you for your responses! I do agree that a few years of med/surg or that type would be a benefit to everyone involved and will definetly take that into consideration!

[caringtouch]

Hoping,

I got the job!:yeah:I will keep you informed and let you know how my preceptorship goes. Like you, I had a sister who died from cancer, however, she spent the last year of her life in a hospital crying every day to go home and be with her 2 little boys. (We had never heard of Hospice at the time). It is something I will never forget. To be able to do for others what we were not able to do for my sister is what I truly want to do. I am thankful to have this opportunity. Best of luck to you.