seasonedlpn replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nursing
Ah yes...the bud of innocence that blooms in all new nurses. I, too, was blissful when I first started...but so much death, rotting flesh and pain, and cynicism becomes a ready self defense mechanism. I wanted to change the world...now, I'm happy to ...
seasonedlpn replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nursing
I've become more cynical with each passing year. after over 30 years as a nurse, I can honestly say that I would have loved to tell certain patients or family members where to take their complaints! Now I work home Hospice....some problems can only b...
I understand the meaning of this thread! Last week I had an opportunity to smell a "Corpse Flower", yup, smells like rotting flesh...an odor I'm all too familiar with, as a Hospice nurse. Funny, didn't bother me at all, in fact, as I sat in the yard ...
We are probably going to admit a 10 year old ,with a brain tumor, to Hospice. At present she is hospitalized, sent in for intractable seizures. Have any of you had experience with IV Dilantin in the home setting? Our concern is titrating the dose to...
Try an agency that staffs private duty, sometimes the experience translates as home health. I started doing home care after caring for a friend's dying mother...the note of recommendation they wrote for me was all I needed to get into home health, an...
I was on call for Hospice when I got a 4AM death call.I am NOT a morning person! I stood in the closet whimpering that I had nothing to wear...then went into the bathroom to get ready. I grabbed my electric toothbrush in one hand, and my hot curling ...
I'm in California and our Home Hospice patients are coming to us later, and sicker. New Medi-Care guidelines have forced us to discharge some of our patients because they were not sick enough. The whole focus seems to be changing; rather than treat a...
seasonedlpn replied to RNWithAHeart's topic in Hospice
Pancreatic CA is usually a fast moving diagnosis. I tell my patients that a terminal diagnosis is a kind of gift. It means no midnight call from the nurse or doctor, no coroner on the front porch. It means no scrambling to "break the news" to distant...
I've been in Hospice since 1977...in my current Hospice position for 5 years. I know my job, and I love it. But, lately, I've had a few patients that have really "gotten" to me; the ones I can't leave at the job. I start to look back at others I've e...
seasonedlpn replied to seasonedlpn's topic in Hospice
I agree. Some sort of belief system is better than no belief system. I am always enlightened by the varied beliefs we encounter, and I try to respect each and every one individually. Hospice chaplains do an amazing job in supporting our families. Tha...
seasonedlpn replied to seasonedlpn's topic in Hospice
Believe it or not, he doesn't like the liquid morphine, says it makes him too unsteady when showering, (yes, he showers himself, to soak off old dressing) There is usually some bleeding noted, but nothing near hemorrhage. We use a LOT of alginate and...
I've been in Hospice since 1977, it is where I feel the most useful, where I do my best work. I've always felt that Hospice nurses can deal with death on a daily basis because, by some inner Faith, we believe it's not the end, but simply the passing ...
