ErinS

ErinS BSN, RN

Hospice

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All Content by ErinS

  1. How would you interpret this order for pain medication?

    ErinS replied to I<3H2O's topic in General Nursing

    I work in hospice, so it is sometimes different, but when a pt is in severe pain we often give them their standard pain medicine (the lortab) and morphine for the breakthrough pain. Morphine is much...

  2. Team Meetings & Hospice Nursing Diagnosis

    ErinS replied to LookUp2Sky's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    There are actually very specific medicare guidelines on what your IDT meetings should include. As Tewdles said, your IDT should be concise and focused on your patients plan of care, ie. your...

  3. Docs who are actually willing to get their hands dirty.

    ErinS replied to OutlawNurse86's topic in General Nursing

    My doc changed a wound on one of my hospice pts the other day. I had to walk him through it, but he did it. I was so

  4. LTC to Hospice?

    ErinS replied to Jw1724's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I would think you could go from LTC to hospice if you were confident in your ability to assess and provide appropriate interventions to ill patients. In hospice you are often providing care in the...

  5. Escorted out of the patients home.........

    ErinS replied to AtlantaRN's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Excuse me hospice nurse: Can you please be my mom's family member, maid, pharmacist, doctor, gardener, beautician, podiatrist, and best friend? Also, I need this all for free. And can you cure her...

  6. Pain management protocol

    ErinS posted a topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Tell me about how pain medicine is used in your hospice. This is for a school project. Do you have a protocol, or just a known standard of practice for titrating meds? What meds do you normally use...

  7. Pain management protocol

    ErinS replied to ErinS's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Tewdles- Why do you go slow? I know this seems like a stupid question, but I have done lots of research that gives an overall picture that rapid titration of meds is safe and desirable in end of...

  8. Looking for some advice

    ErinS replied to GCmomRN's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I still think that hospice requires a real ability to not only assess a patient, but apply the assessment to possible situations. We do not hire nurses with less than 1 year of nursing experience,...

  9. Question for On Call nurses-response times and situations

    ErinS replied to AtlantaRN's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Our agency has no required policy on how we respond to calls. If nursing judgment says we should go, we go. If everything is okay, then we do not go. If 4 calls come in at the same time, we...

  10. What type of lifestyle can a nurse afford?

    ErinS replied to AddisonLawrence03's topic in General Nursing

    Depends on if you are good with your money. Lots of nurses get nose

  11. Skin Prep- waste of time?

    ErinS replied to anonymous1919's topic in General Nursing

    I would not think skin prep would be terribly helpful, but a conditioning ointment may be helpful. I would also think floating everyone's heels would also be more helpful than skin

  12. lung ca symptom mgmt

    ErinS replied to onewithhospiceheart's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Hospicevet- had the same thing happen to me. Younger man with lung ca, committed suicide the 3rd day on service. It was the most horrible thing that has happened so far to me in my entire career....

  13. OIN and fluids

    ErinS posted a topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Anyone have any experience dealing with opioid induced neurotoxicity? Do any of you routinely give SubQ or IV fluids at the end of life for comfort? My MD is just now taking his palliative boards...

  14. Hospice nursing- wanting to make the switch???

    ErinS replied to carriegrn's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Hey- you don't have to convince most hospice nurses about why the hospital sucks! Been there, done that, not going back anytime soon. Good luck to

  15. Another amazing death

    ErinS posted a topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I just wanted to post on one of the amazing parts of our job. Admitted a pt last week who was told he had 'months' left. Upon meeting him it was obvious that he had days left, not months. He...

  16. Documenting pain

    ErinS replied to jyhn's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I HATE McKesson horizon! I feel like I chart on everything except the really important stuff. Charting in hospice needs to be a symptom based assessment. In addition (and more importantly) we have...

  17. What can Hospice do for my mother?

    ErinS replied to fiona8757's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    A good hospice agency will provide and teach you about rescue meds that work faster than an ambulance can arrive (often morphine and ativan for dyspnea). They will begin assisting your mom in a life...

  18. Deep Suctioning: Should We Do It At End of Life?

    ErinS replied to tencat's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I agree with Leslie. What a mean thing to do to someone at the end of life. I think the family needs some education on lots of things. The use of morphine, the cause of aspiration pneumonia, death...

  19. Where are the "normal" births?

    ErinS replied to what2donow's topic in Certified Nurse-Midwives, CNM

    I am just lurking, but I wanted to put out there my wish. I wish women could deliver in hospitals, but in a natural (less intervention) way. I am a hospice nurse, and have cared for four babies with...

  20. The tragic patient

    ErinS replied to OttawaRPN's topic in General Nursing

    Does pt have a legal declaration of incompetency? If not, he can legal make his own decisions unless he has been declared incompetent by the MD, then he needs a guardian ad litem appointed (this is my...

  21. How can I support my hospice nurse spouse?

    ErinS replied to gjwandkids's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Understand that he may come home stressed and cranky, and that it was probably a tough day. Encourage him to exercise. Plan vacations and do not let him bring his phone. Understand the possibility...

  22. Peds Hospice/Palliative Care

    ErinS replied to rnin0513's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    You will have a hard time finding a specific hospice pediatric job without a large pediatric hospital near by. In our agency, we get about 3-4 kids per month. There are certain nurses who are more...

  23. new hospice job

    ErinS replied to CJsGirlRN's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    You may want to look into the weekends and holidays thing. I still work an occasional Sunday and work many holidays. The best thing you can do is just relax. Don't let things your patients say or...

  24. No bowel movement in ovarian cancer patient

    ErinS replied to nputte's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    You may also be getting to the point where a different delivery of medicine needs to be considered. I would likely start continuous narcotic and possibly a lorazepam infusion, and be discussing the...

  25. Please help a Nursing student...

    ErinS replied to Z0LIN's topic in General Nursing

    Name: Erin Education: BSN, getting my MSN (education track) Position: Hospice RN How long in position? 2 years Previous background: Float pool for 2 years as cna, 1 year as lpn, 1 year as RN, 6 months...