Agree completely with tewdles... If they are not happy with the present hospice, there are generally several in any given area. The first step should be speaking to the present hospice about their perception regarding the hospice's stance on food/...
Iluvhospice replied to RockinChick66's topic in Hospice
You have what it takes to be a hospice nurse. After graduating from nursing school, I worked on an oncology floor for 10 months and then moved on to hospice. You may place foleys, access portacaths, drain PleurX drains - but rarely do IVs. Blood dr...
Definitely get actively searching for a new job. I am in management and the only drawback I can see is that you will not have accrued paid time off for the maternity leave and will not have worked there long enough for FMLA to apply. But crying on ...
Iluvhospice replied to FreshRN05's topic in New Nurse
Since I last posted in this thread, I have worked in hospice for more than 5 years. The increased tracheal secretions are simply the result of no longer being strong enough to swallow the saliva/secretions that you and I are swallowing all day long....
Our hospice uses a on-call PICC nurse, who places the most wonderful PICC lines I have ever used. Mobile x-ray comes to verify placement before use, just as in the hospital. I love our PICC nurse!
Iluvhospice replied to RiverNurse's topic in Hospice
I went in to nursing school with the plan to work for Hospice. I worked on an Oncology floor for 10months before switching to the premiere hospice in our area. I had wonderful orientation with hospice and it was a rapid learning curve, but I think ...
Iluvhospice replied to NurseEmily22's topic in New Nurse
Absolutely - go for the job you love. Nothing makes a day last longer than hating your job. Not even a bigger paycheck can fix that. Best of luck in your new position!
Iluvhospice replied to sukichaz's topic in Hospice
Our hospice does palliative pleural taps also - generally patient revokes their Medicare Hospice Benefit during the hospitalization, and then we readmit them post-procedure. Morphine and Ativan are standard palliation drugs for dyspnea. Do you hav...
Iluvhospice replied to debblynn13's topic in Hospice
How much training happens before you are sent out on your own... and once you're on your own - is there help READILY available by phone? Oncology to hospice isn't a big leap because you probably had comfort care patients on your floor at one time or...
Robin, My days are not what a "typical" hospice case manager would have because I see the general in-patients (pts who are hospitalized for something related to their hospice diagnosis), and when there aren't many of those - I do admissions. If I hav...
I would recommend that you start your career on an oncology floor. Surprisingly, it provides you with lots of varied opportunities for skills - but most importantly - at least for hospice work - you get to experience death and dying more frequently ...
Being a care companion and being a hospice case manager/nurse are far different things. That's not to say that sometimes we don't have to help with personal care activities - but, by and large, that's not the main gist of the role. If your heart i...
Iluvhospice replied to timewood's topic in Hospice
$27/hr is the prn salary where I live. .44/mile is also roughly the reimbursement we receive. I just accepted a full-time admissions position with the hospice company I was working prn for - and I took a pay cut, not huge - but less than $27/hr. ...
The St. David's network and Seton network are both giving their nurses a 6% pay increase effective sometime in October. The pay rate at Seton for a new nurse with no experience was $19.28/hr with $2.50-3 /hr differential for evenings and roughly $5 ...
Iluvhospice replied to perfectbluebuildings's topic in New Nurse
At my hospital, you don't change a dressing until the doctor writes an order. I wouldn't think that it would be unusual for it to have drainage on it - particularly right after surgery. As far as cardiac meds and monitoring - which floor do you work ...
Iluvhospice replied to Jo Dirt's topic in Oncology
GAgirl is absolutely right. It is a love it or hate it floor. Personally, I too LOVE it. I love that I get to touch people's lives in ways others don't get to. I get to discuss personal issues/beliefs/fears with them - and grow to love them. Ye...
Iluvhospice replied to evergreener's topic in Oncology
We post signs on the door advising sick visitors (states specifically with a COLD or respiratory infection because people with colds generally don't consider themselves "sick") not to enter. Masks are only required of nursing staff if one of us has ...
Iluvhospice replied to FreshRN05's topic in New Nurse
I work on an oncology floor, so we spend a lot of time with patients who are comfort measures only. The "gargly breathing" that usually signals near death can be helped with suctioning (but that's often not very comfortable and can be downright scary...
Iluvhospice replied to nursebetty74's topic in NCLEX
My classmate and I took it on Thursday. We both had 75 questions, no math, lots of priority - she had 3 select all that apply and I had 1. We both found out we passed this morning!!!!!! We both have our first 12 hour shift on the oncology floor tomo...
Hi all, I will begin my career as an oncology nurse on October 24th, so I have been lurking in this forum. A friend of a friend has been diagnosed with this type of leukemia, and my friend (who is also an RN) is seeking information about prognosis ...
Iluvhospice replied to Student_Nurse_WV's topic in General Students
What do you do? You take it ONE STEP AT A TIME. You pick one assignment, focus on that assignment until it's finished, then you take a break and start another. It's easy to get overwhelmed in nursing school if you look at the big picture instead o...