RipeTomato

Hi Elkpark, No, it is a for profit hospice business, but what gets fuzzy I think is that to qualify as a medicare hospice company, you must provide a spiritual counselor on staff. So he there, in the building, at the meetings. I was on vacation when it was decided that the prayer before meetings thing start, so I don't know the dialogue that went on to come to this decision. I know that most of the people I work with do seem to be religious, so were probably pro-prayer at work.

Where are you from, Katie? :) I do believe the chaplain is the best choice for the job, but sometimes I'm at a death in the middle of the night by myself. This doesn't make me uncomfortable. If my pt or their family is in crisis, then I will do my best to bring them comfort. Prayer in the work place is a whole different ballgame though!

Wow lots of great answers, and thoughts. Thanks you guys. It's the assumption that somebody will have a hard time with EOL (end of life) because they "don't have a belief system," when the lack of belief system may not be the reason at all that bothers me. I've seen many people with strong belief systems struggle, while others who are self-professed atheists find peace and have a beautiful quiet death, and I've seen the opposite. Also, not having a belief system seems to be confused with "not sharing my belief system." They have a belief system, it's just not the same as many others have.

Hi everybody, I'm three months into my new job as a hospice RNCM and have been learning a lot. I generally love, love, love my job. My question today is about praying in the workplace. I know that Medicare requires a spiritual counselor on staff, but I also know that patients can refuse that service. At my work place, meetings have recently started to begin with prayer lead by the SC. This seems a bit odd to me, coming from years of experience in the work world where things like prayer before meetings did not happen. Also, I hear a lot of statements from fellow workers that I find offensive regarding patients having a hard time with EOL because they "don't have a belief system." They have a belief system, it just may not be the same as other people. From my limited experience, it seems people die differently, not relatable solely to their belief system. Some with strong beliefs have a hard time, others who don't believe find peace at the end. I will pray with my patients all they want if that brings them peace and comfort, but prayer in the work place feels like a violation. Thoughts?

I haven't had to do any charting or work from home, with the exception of an occasional email. I think if you're organized and stay on top of things, it shouldn't get too out of hand. Of course, I can see that the periodic crazy day will happen, when extra hours will be needed. On the other hand, there are light days to balance that out.

Hi sonicleese, I LOVE my job. I am so happy I made the change. It was scary because it's different from what I was doing, but I'm so, so glad I took the chance. I like having the time to take care of my patients and their families. I really enjoy the psych/social side of nursing and get a lot of that here. I love working normal hours and being on the same schedule as my family. I love the autonomy of being out in the field by myself, but also having the support of the other RNs and my clinical director a phone call (or text) away. I simply asked for a higher number than the one they first offered. They upped their offer a bit, enough for me to feel good about the pay. I didn't get the number I asked for, but I didn't expect to either. Good luck with your decision!

Congratulations on having the courage to start a new path in the prime of life! I graduated nursing school at 48. This year I will turn 50. Always keep learning!

I got hired with an ADN, but am currently (and at time of hire) enrolled in a BSN program. I don't know if that helped me or not.

Thank you paradise! I'm excited to see what awaits me! :-)

I just wanted to add that, having just completed my first year of nursing in critical care, I think that any specialty you go into is going to be incredibly difficult and stressful your first year. There is a HUGE learning curve from school to actual nursing. Sometimes I wonder how nursing school prepared me at all for actual nursing on the floor. Good luck. Know that you are continuing to learn and grow by the day, and that it will eventually get better.

Hi Kafergie, The job I interviewed for was for case manager, hospice, so it was a little different than I had anticipated. From what I've read, case mangers in home health aren't in the field doing patient care (and the CMs at my hospital don't do patient care either), but my new job (got it!) as a case manager in hospice, will have me in the field and doing patient care, which is awesome because I didn't want to give up patient care entirely. As far as the interview questions, they were all very different than I prepped for, of course! I was nervous, so forgot most of them, but they did ask for examples of how I have implemented ideas in the work place, handled difficult patients or families, mistakes I have made in the work place and how I fixed them. That sort of stuff. Good luck!

If they can sit in the chair with assistance with transfers, then no, I wouldn't. But that's from my experience in critical care. Haven't started my hospice job yet. :)

Asked for more and got it. So excited to start on this journey!

Thank you, twedles. I've enjoyed your posts in this forum. :-) I received the offer. I'm a little disappointed in the pay and pto. Now wondering if I can negotiate, or if that would put them off to me.

Hello MBARNBSN, Thanks for the clarification. The CM's at my hospital don't do patient care, which is what I was referring to, not that they were sitting on their bums all day! :-)

I posted in case management earlier today, but it really should have been in this forum. I interviewed for a case manager RN job today with a hospice company. I mistakenly thought the job was similar to case mangers at hospitals, or even with home health, more like a desk job, but was happy to find out it is a job for hospice care in the field. I have been an RN for a little over a year, in critical care. I have longed for a position that would allow me to build more of a relationship with my patients and their families. I believe in the hospice philosophy of care, and after a year of watching patients suffer greatly while dying in the hospital, I welcome the chance to work with people who have taken control of their end of life. I nailed my interview and was hoping for an offer by Friday (when they told me they'd make a decision), but they called just now telling me to expect the offer tomorrow! I'm thrilled and scared! It's a big change. It's been nice reading this forum, because so many of you are so passionate about your jobs and really seem to love them.

I'm very excited to have this interview as this is the direction I want to go in. I have one year of clinical experience in critical care. That's it. No home health, no case management. This is the first place that even called me after I submitted my resume. If you were interviewing me for this job, what would you be looking for? How can I convince them that I would be right for the job even without the experience? What type of questions can I expect to be asked? Thanks for any and all input!

Thanks nursy and lovin, that's a really good idea.

I'm in the last quarter of my first year of nursing and have been working in the ICU. I've been thinking of switching jobs, and have been researching home health care. It appeals to me for it's more family-friendly hours and the autonomous and independent nature of the job. I've talked to people who look fondly back at their time in home health, and I've read some great posts by nurses who seem to love their jobs. But lately, I'm reading more and more horror stories about the field. I don't want to make a big mistake with this move, and end up even more unhappy with my next job. Any advice?

I am in a nurse residency program as a new grad in the ICU. We are given 12 weeks of orientation that includes both floor time with a preceptor and classes. I'm three weeks into the program and my schedule includes two 12 hour shifts with my preceptor and two 8 hour education shifts per week. I'm also given independent study and homework assignments. It's a lot to take in, but I hope I will feel better prepared to work independently when the time comes.