Leda1st

"It is all about the corporate attitude and goals." Amen to that, Tewdles!

227, if it weren't for the fact that some of finer details didn't fit, I would wonder if you worked in my office. It seems to me, from talking to other nurses in my office with previous hospice experience (very covertly and being careful to whom I c...

Atlanta, I feel your pain. Although I DO feel like Hospice is a WONDERFUL thing and I know there are many folks out there who would be eligible but do not know they could receive the services, I have a BIG problem with the whole concept of "marketers...

Ah, maybe I should move to Atlanta! Sounds like you have good management that wants to be sure their staff is able to provide QUALITY care to the patients. I think 12 patients is PLENTY for a fulltime case manager - as I said, we are at 15-16, at tim...

We don't have designated on-call staff, and in my opinion, it is a disaster. Our caseloads are already too high, and all of us work at least 50+ hours per week already (salary). We desperately need to hire on call staff, but management has to be conv...

Why are you not supposed to waste in the sink or toilet? Just curious, because the instructions I have been given where I work (a place with multiple problems, so I won't be surprised ifI have been misinformed) is to waste everything in the toilet.

Thanks Tewdles! I'm working on it. My plan is to try to get a PRN position at another agency and "feel it out" before I jump in with both feet.

American Train: I swear we must work in the same office. I am serious. Unfortunately, I do not feel safe indicating where I work. I, too, am looking for a new job. The director of the company I work for is definitely more interested in the bottom li...

I have been reading this thread and wanted to put my 2 cents in. First, I would say it is possible for a new grad to be a hospice RN, but I would not recommend it. You are pretty much on your own, and it really helps to have a lot of background where...

Unfortunately, I am a newbie as well, so I don't have any good suggestions. I just wanted to say how creatively COOL the poise pad and diaper suggestions were! I would NEVER have thought of those! To the OP: I hope some of these ideas have helped.

I wouldn't say it is "sundowner's" necessarily. In my very brief hospice experience thus far, I have noticed, however, that my folks with dementia seem to have most of their falls and their "episodes" of getting out of bed, etc., in the very early mo...

Regarding the statement that opiods and benzos can also cause confusion: PLEASE don't hesitate, however, to use this if needed to keep your grandmother comfortable - try to figure out the best dosages and combinations to do this. I have a patient wit...

I am still very new to hospice, and our "veteran" nurse CM has been there less than 2 years. Yikes. I am planning to dig in my heels and stay for at least a year, hopefully more. I have already picked up on the fact that the agency I work for will de...

1.Ask specific questions about pay. I was quoted an hourly amount, and then told that I would be salaried based on a 40-hour week at that amount (I have YET to only work 40 hours, so they get the benefit in this case). 2.As for on-call, there are SEV...

To Harmonpa: Check out the "Long Term Care" specialty area of this site for a lot of feedback. As someone who went from hospital to LTC, it is VERY different. There are some good things and some bad things, just like with every job. Just make sure if...

First, do your best to stay "on" the night shift schedule even on your days off. This is almost impossible, but it is MUCH harder to try to "swing" back and forth than to stay on one shift all the time. Second, MAKE SURE you get a FULL 8 hours of sl...

I second the folks who said to check the code status, especially in LTC. If you would feel more comfortable and you don't know the code status, go ahead and have someone call 911, but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE assign someone to find out the code status ...

After reading these posts, I have to make a few comments. 1. It is VERY sad that things in "assisted living" are this way not just where I am but it seems to be widespread. 2. Someone said that Med Techs had to be CNA's first and then get 6 weeks o...

I am very new to hospice nursing - just started 5 weeks ago, came from ER/Urgent Care and Med surg, so I am really having to work on "shifting my focus". Just had a conversation with a speech therapist who basically made me feel like I wanted my litt...