jenny_g

Thanks so much for all the positive reinforcemnt! I knew in my heart I was doing the right thing. It does help to hear some feedback that affirms that. Thank you all so much! Jenny

Hi all, I'm Jenny, an RN ASN. I have only posted on this site a couple of times. I just started working for a Hospice Agency in June. I specified in my application I only wanted PT work. I was called for an interview and told the Director I only wanted PT work. She said, "that's fine, like 10 - 20 hours a week?" I told her I had a babysitter lined up for 2 days a week, so I could work like 16 hours a week. She said that sounded good and hired me on the spot. I spent 2 days one week doing all the paperwork for orientation. Then the next week spent 1/2 day in mandatory mtg., the other 1/2 with an RN observing her. The next day I spent a full day with an RN training with her. So I had 1 1/2 days of training with an RN. Then one of our RN's went on vacation last week and they asked me to see her pt's. I agreed b/c I felt comfortable with the 2 page assessment form (very similar to the one I used in Home Health Nursing). While seeing pt's this past Thur., for the RN on vacation, I saw our director who was out doing admissions. I am learning that this co. is the typical understaffed nursing facility. They seem to be a very good co., highly respected in the community and getting tons of referrals and admits. Anyway, she asked me when I was going to be ready to do an admit. I said, "well I've never seen one done, never been trained to do one. Too bad I'm seeing these pt's today or I could go with you to learn how." She said, "well, you'll have to do one eventually." Almost like she wanted to push one off on me to go do along with my other visits. I just laughed and said, "I guess so." Ok, so then Friday I was off, I had worked Wed. and Thur. (as agreed upon) and actually went to a mtg. Tues. afternoon. Friday morning the office mgr. called and asked if I would be on stand-by call for them PRN for the day? I said, no I can't, I don't have a babysitter. She said, ok. Later the same day, I was gone and she left a msg. on my machine, saying, "can you please call, I have a dire emergency, could you just help out for like an hour?" I didn't even get the msg till after the office was closed so I have no idea what the "dire emergency" was. So I am already feeling frustrated and taken advantage of. My husband says just don't let them get to you. You are working exactly what you were hired to work. But for me, I hate knowing that they are probably thinking, she's not being a team player, we can't count on her to be there when we need her, etc.... I love doing the job so far and don't want to not be doing it. At the same time though, I don't want to be called on my days off and be given a guilt trip about how they so desperately have to have me come in. Or take on doing admissions when I already have a day full of pt's. It's as if, they belittle the fact that I only work PT b/c I choose to be home with my daughter instead. Like that's not a good enough reason. That I should be willing to put in 65 hours a week like some of our other RN's. If I was working PT b/c I was also working another FT job, I think they would leave me alone, but they know I am a SAHM and I guess that's not a good enough reason to work PT. I mainly needed to vent all my frustrations. Any opinions? Thanks, Jen

Hi all, I am brand new to this board, and actually to the entire website. I am getting ready to start orientation at a hospice agency next week and starting to feel apprehensive. I have not been working at all for the past 2 years in order to stay home with my first and only child. I'm sure I would feel some apprehension going into any field! As an LPN I did a year of Med-Surg, then lived and worked at a mission hospital in Haiti for a year (covered every area!) To help support myself through RN school, I stayed with a hospice pt. once a month for a 4 day weekend. I was employed directly by the family so they could have a break. The pt. had hospice and the nurse would oftentimes come while I was there. The pt. died about 8 months after I started staying with her. After graduation, I worked in an orthopedic clinic and then was doing Home Health nursing when I decided to be a stay at home mom. I love the setting of Home Health nursing, the chance to really get to know the pt. and family. My goals though, as in most other fields of nursing, was always to assist the pt. in recovering or learning to adapt to the disease process, etc.... and ultimately dismiss them. With Hospice, dismissal will come with death. How as an RN brand new to hospice nursing, should I prepare myself emotionally? Can some nurses just not handle it? How do you keep a healthy perspective? How do you not become so attatched that you go home and can't eat because your pt. just died? Or keep from being detatched b/c you know death is imminent? I want to be an excellent Hospice nurse. Maybe there is no reason for alarm. Maybe it will all fall into place. Thank you for any input. Jenny, RN