RN CHPN

when applying to online bsn programs,i had a disappointing experience with the university of north alabama. they advertise themselves as an rn to bsn fast-track online program, but are only suited to traditional education. even with an associate degree in nursing, a bachelor's degree in another subject, and a chpn, they wanted me to repeat 2 basic english courses, 2 basic history classes despite having taken 7 (seven!), speech communication, and a very, very basic and general nutrition course not even geared toward nurses or health professionals! watch out when looking for a bsn program -- there are many out there that want you to take as many classes as possible just to collect more $$$. una is completely inflexible and shouldn't offer a rn to bsn program.

i had a disappointing experience with the university of north alabama. they advertise themselves as an rn to bsn fast-trach online program, but are only suited to traditional education. even with an associate degree in nursing, a bachelor's degree in another subject, and a chpn, they wanted me to repeat 2 basic english courses, 2 basic history classes despite having taken 7 (seven!), speech communication, and a very, very basic and general nutrition course not even geared toward nurses or health professionals! watch out when looking for a bsn program -- there are many out there that want you to take as many classes as possible just to collect more $$$.

You're welcome. And having said all that, I'd like to add that I hope that you'll find a great hospice job. It is a truly rewarding practice, one where a nurse can really make a difference. Good luck.

In my BSN-program research, I found the following schools have "accelerated" online BSN's: Fayettville State University (part of UNC) now has a 13-month online program that starts in August. I't $64/credit in state. Cons: FSU just scrapped their generic BSN program due to a 30% NCLEX pass rate, so its reputation isn't good. Also, it's back to clinicals (critical care), and organic chemistry. Chamberlain claims I can finish in "as little as 10 months", but they are very expensive. University of North Alabama has a "flex-track" program but it takes 18 months and they are inflexible regarding pre-requisites and actually want me to complete more history/english/math/speech/chemistry classes...There's also a non-negotiable requirement for a nutrition class that's not even for nurse, it's just a generic, very basic nutrition class. Slippery Rock has a program that doesn't require any pre-requisites for RN's that have a non-nursing bachelor's degree, and the tuition is very reasonable, but the program is 39 credits and takes at least 18 months.

I am starting to look into the MSN option. It seems like the smart thing to do!

Thanks, I'll look into it!

I'm happy you had a good experience with hospice. That's the way hospice service should be... With the exception that one nurse should not be expected to provide all of the service all of the time.

Assure your uncle that your aunt does not have to be "placed in a hospice". Hospice is a philosophy of care, not a place, meaning hospice can provide a lot of support (physical/emotional/spritual/etc) right in a person's home. This is a good place to start; getting hospice services in the house to help your uncle and aunt; and, as things progress (and I do understand they are very far progressed, and I'm sorry), they can offer more assistance -- some hospices have inpatient units, or can offer around-the-clock-care (called "continuous care" in times of serious crisis for a patient or caregiver), or supervise her care in a long-term facility. I hope this info helps!

Easy question. Answer: Quit your job and find another. You're being exploited.

Hospice can be a wonderful and meaningful career if you make a good decision about who to work for. Here are some tips that I can offer you as a CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse): Hospice is not a lifestyle. If there's no such thing as "work-life balance", no boundaries (and if you're "shamed" for having boundaries), look elsewhere! What these kind of hospices want are "co-dependent" nurses, meaning nurses that are looking for an identity and a life purpose in addition to a rewarding career, and all for a small salary (with no pay for OT or on-call visits in the middle of the night) who are willing to make hospice their "lifestyle". Any hospices that demands these things of their nurses is exploiting nurses, plain and simple. Hospice is not a religious calling. You will hear some nurses talking about hospice as if it were a call to sainthood. It's not. It requires deep compassion, excellent and sensitive communication skills, and staying up-to-date with cutting-edge knowledge and skills related to topics such as pain management, etc. Every hospice has a chaplain for spiritual needs. Utilize them. Hospice is a profession. A professional job provides appropriate compensation and consideration of their workers as human beings that have a life outside of work (I know those ideas may be somewhat blurry in the current recession).Those of us working in hospice are very dedicated to what we do; but no job, especially one that requires working with the terminally ill and their families, should require endless hours of work. No job should require working until 11 PM to complete an unplanned admission, and then going out alone to attend a few deaths in the middle of the night (for zero pay), and then having to show up for work at 8 AM for another over-full day. That guarantees burnout. A hospice nurse job should require 40 hours, case closed (no pun intended!). Hospices need nurses around the clock, so let them hire nurses for different shifts, like facilities do. And for different positions. Case managers should not be doing admissions. Being called in the middle of a workday (or, heaven forbid, at the end of one!) to go and "do an admission" -- a process that takes at least 4 hours, if all the planets and traffic patterns are aligned, but usually 6 by the time all is said and done -- can require working well into the night! There ARE hospices that do not exploit nurses; they have case managers / on-call nurses / admissions nurses. That is the only kind of hospice your should work for. And until that's the only kind of hospice any nurse will work for, we'll have exploitation, burnt-out nurses, and high turnover. Hospice nurse managers keep their jobs by containing costs, so as long as they have a supply of nurses willing to work innumerable hours (and for an unfair salary), they'll perpetuate it. Good Luck. By all means, work for hospice; it is a more-than-worthwhile cause; but remember, you're a healthcare professional, not a martyr. Don't sacrifice your health and peace of mind like I and many others have done!

I was hired by Duke Hospice and left soon after I started. I'm a CHPN with 20 years of experience as a RN and I would not recommend Duke Hospice for the following reasons: There's no such thing as work-life balance. What they want are "co-dependent" nurses that need an identity and a life purpose in addition to a career, and for a small salary (with no pay for OT or on-call) who willing to make hospice their "lifestyle". Hospice nursing is not a "lifestyle". Duke is exploiting these nurses, as is every hospice that hires a nurse on salary and then has them doing 2 or 3 jobs, day and night. Hospice is not a lifestyle. Granted, those of us working in hospice are very dedicated to what we do; but no job, to me and to many nurses, especially one that requires working with the terminally ill and their families, should require endless hours of work. It should be 40 hours, case closed. Hospices need nurses around the clock, so let them hire nurses for different shifts, like facilities do. And for different positions. Case managers should not be doing admissions. Being called in the middle of a workday (or, heaven forbid, at the end of one!) to go and "do an admission" -- a process that takes at least 4 hours, if all the planets are aligned, but usually 6 by the time all is said and done -- can require working well into the night! At Duke we were told to "feel free to have dinner with our families, and then settle into a comfortable chair to do all of our documentation". Thanks! (And no OT!) There ARE hospices that do not exploit nurses; they have case managers / on-call nurses / admissions nurses. That is the only kind of hospice your should work for. And until that's the only kind of hospice any nurse will work for, we'll have exploitation, burnt-out nurses, and high turnover. Hospice nurse managers keep their jobs by containing costs, so as long as they have a supply of nurses willing to work innumerable hours for an unfair salary, they'll perpetuate it. Also, Duke hospice does not have "continuous care" (if you are not familiar, continuous care provides around-the-clock home care for hospice patients in crisis). By not offering this program (which is covered by medicare and other insurance), the case managers and any nurse that's on-call gets slammed with phone calls and unscheduled visits because the unfortunate patient and family members are left in a situation they just are not able to cope with. Look elsewhere for a job. Duke hospice nurses are stressed-out and miserable.

I'm a RN with 20 years experience who is looking into getting a BSN to bring my education in line with my knowledge and experience. In the past few months I've spent many hours doing exhaustive research on accelerated RN to BSN programs specifically for RN's who already possess a non-nursing bachelor's degree. And I have come across a standard that really irks me! While there are many programs for non-nurses with non-nursing bachelor's degrees in any subject that purport to make them RN's in a year, I'm not finding the equivalent for those in my situation! Sure, there are programs that take approximately one year, but please consider this: If a person with a non-nursing bachelor's degree can become an RN in one year, if I am already a RN and already have a bachelor's degree, does that mean I already have my BSN??? Interesting conundrum, isn't it? But what I'm finding is much, much different! Even the few schools that actually offer accelerated RN to BSN's for nurses w/non-nursing bachelor's degrees, they take AT LEAST a year. Even the ones that do not require pre-requisites for that specific group take at least a year or more! I think the answer is this: Who would award those like me a BSN without also wanting to make a significant income from doing so? And so we are required to take a lot of totally unnecessary classes and there is no option of clepping the whole darned thing. But there should be. I'm interested in anyone finding themselves in the same situation, and in any information regarding programs that truly take previous education and experience into consideration. Thank you all, and I hope to hear from you!