NickiTeleRN

@kittyboxers Thank you! your comment was really helpful. The autonomy of home hospice is really appealing to me. That's part of the reason I enjoy night shift in the hospital. I'm a little worried that since I've been on nights so long that it will be a lot for me to have to manage so many ancillary groups like social work, MDs, suppliers and everyone involved when the patient passes but I guess you get used to it like anything else. I can handle a little bit of a pay cut (I assumed there would be one) but 12 hour shifts are important to me. I am happy to hear that it's not impossible to get 12's in home hospice, that was my major sticking point. I really do feel like this is my calling and I want to learn as much as I can before I jump into it. I am relieved to hear that oncoloogy or palliative care isn't as neccessary as I assumed. I feel a lot more optimistic about my options ?

Two more things I forgot to include 1. I keep reading about shadowing a hospice nurse. I would love to do that but I don't know any hospice nurses. Is that something a potential employer would allow me to do? 2. Scheduling. I love working 3 nights a week and can't imagine going back to 9-5. Are all the longer shifts "on call"? I work nights now and can handle weird hours, I just don't want to do 5 days a week.

I have been interested in hospice nursing since nursing school and my experience at the bedside has made me want it even more. I put my goal of hospice on the back burner to get a few years of experience and make the move to Southern California from the Midwest. I have 3 years tele experience and 1.5 years (current) neuro/stroke experience. I'm currently looking to change employers/locations and will be in a position to take work slower to find what I'm happy doing. What would be the best route to get experience and my foot in the door? I see there are certifications but they are recommended for RNs with hospice/palliative experience. Do nurses do better in hospice with a foundation in oncology? Thanks in advance ?

That's all great info. Thanks!!

I really like the vibe of SD so maybe I'll try to stick around that area. I would love to do travel nursing but I have a bunch of birds and other pets so moving is a huge hassle for me. I've been applying for jobs for a little over a month and haven't gotten any calls back yet. Part of my problem might be that I only have my ADN.

I am making the move from Chicago to California and know almost no one out there. I have always wanted to move out west and now with almost 3 years tele experience under my belt I think it's time to make the move. I have a friend that works at Sharp in San Diego and my plan was to move to that area anyways but maybe I shouldn't be so hasty in my location decision. I have a few pets and need at least a one bedroom and I'm a little concerned about cost of living. I'm not commited to San Diego but definitely want something within 45 minutes from the ocean but I would sacrifice closeness for a beautiful view and nature things to do. I'm 28 and moving alone, not into the party scene but not looking for a really sleepy town either. Any suggestions on hospitals/locations for me? PS: I already have my CA license endorsement