MABSNRN

I have been doing hospice for the last two years after about twenty years of hospital/long term care nursing and I can tell you it is the LEAST depressing job I have ever had. I love the patients, the families and the job.

I totally agree with you jeweles. This really sounds like a cultural issue to me as well. Bringing in spiritual care could be the key for the patient to be able to understand.

I agree and this is one of the reasons I am so happy to be out of institutional based care, e.g., hospital, LTC. I HATE people thinking I should get them a stamp, a newspaper, a hot tea, a coke, a snack, etc., etc. I want to scream "Would you ask a doctor to do these things?" I went to school to be a registered nurse, NOT a waitress. I was a waitress before I became a nurse and I didn't mind delivering food and drinks then. I surely never thought by becoming a nurse I'd have to be a waitress too. If I had, I'd probably have become a pharmacist or a physician.

I am almost a year into my first hospice CMN job and I love it all except the on call!!! I love the patients, the families and the time I can spend with them. I love that I can wear regular clothing after 28 years of uniforms and scrubs. I love feeling that I have actually helped someone, either patient, family or both, it's a feeling that you don't often get in other jobs. I have never, ever had people be so grateful for my service either, and that is a nice feeling as well. I'd been a nurse a long time before I got the specialty that was the "right" one for me, but the wait was so worth it. Good luck to you, I'm sure you will do well and I hope you love it as much as I do!!!

I agree wholeheartedly! It is ridiculous in nursing and it is rampant. I have also switched to hospice after twenty some years in hospitals and LTC and boy, what a difference it makes!!!! I also think that favoritism DOES affect patient care, sometimes insidiously, sometimes blatantly and it is totally, completely unprofessional.

I have a plastic bin full of supplies, catheters, dressings, lab supplies. I have a laptop case with my laptop and charger in that. My nursing bag was given to me by our company and it has bp cuff, oximeter, thermometer. I carry my cell phone in my pocket in the home and put on console while driving. When we are on call, we also carry a drug box with essential medications. Now, besides that, I have tons of papers, admission packets, and of course my biohazard box and gloves gloves gloves in the back seat. When I am on call, it becomes a mess of epic proportions.

Congratulations on becoming a CNA. I have only been in hospice since last October, but from what I have seen, the most important thing to do is to make the patient happy. It's the little things that seem to matter most, I have had patient's families thank me from the bottom of their hearts that a CNA gave their loved one a complete bed bath or painted their fingernails. It might not seem like much to give someone a good bed bath but it really is. Sometimes that is what they remember most fondly about the hospice care, the care that was given to them by the CNA. And no I don't think it's a bad first job, I think that hospice care is wonderful for the most part, the job entails meeting wonderful people and letting them direct the kind of care they want to receive at the end of their lives. It is a wonderful thing to be able to be with them and help them in their final days.

I'm actually in hospice but it is a division of home health I guess. I think an employer would love to get you because you know how to triage. I don't think you should tone down your resume one bit. You should be very proud of all your knowledge. As for what to ask, a big question I'd ask is how often you will be on call, if at all. Pay matters too of course LOL Good luck.