HillieRN

I work on call and my schedule is very flexible. I used to work critical care, but I also hate 12 hour shifts. Sometimes I will have a really long on call shift, but I do not get as tired as I did working 12 hr nights in critical care.:) I love hospice!

We once had a pt on 1000mg/hr.

Wow, that software sounds awful!! Our Hospice uses Healthwyse and we have laptops.

Thanks NC for the reply. :) I have difficulty discerning if an antibiotic is appropriate or not, in some situations. One example could be an Alzheimer's pt who is unable to communicate and has a lady partsl discharge. She does not appear to have pain/distress, nor does she have a fever or mental status changes. The family is requesting an antibiotic or treatment.

We have never used Sepsis where I work. I am going to have to inquire about it tomorrow.:):)

I would love to hear some commentary from experienced RN's RE antibiotics. There seems to be a lot of gray area where I work. Do some agencies have protocols or algorithms for this they can share?

I realize this is an older post, but is there anyone who works without any backup at all? This is my current situation and I am very concerned.

Where I work I've been told we are to call the local police for an escort if needed. It has been done once or twice but not since I've been there.

We are not having that problem , but we are part of a hospital. We also have a foundation that assists. I'm not saying this couldn't change however ... I wonder what Medicare would think? That would be annoying about the supplies. It is sometimes difficult to be that organized in a dynamic setting like Hospice. Who can you talk to about that ? It's a nice idea and cost saving, but again hard on the nurses trying to provide reasonable care.

OMG RN NC 10 yrs Rn in ICU, 1 yr hospice 25/hr during office hours 36/hr on call 2/hr on call to carry beeper !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No benefits as it is a "temporary position"....

I feel I could be more helpful to families when their loved one dies then I am. I would love some insight on what others say and talk about with families, when attending a death. I am new to Hospice, and a quiet person. I want to do my best for the families and still be me. Hearing some experiences would be helpful, thank you if you can spare a moment.:):)

We do not have any handouts or emergency plan. Thank you for your help- ill talk to the the about that. That would be very helpful for us and make taking call a bit easier- especially for the full time nurses .:). Great suggestions.:). We have CHF patients and flow sheet would be helpful for them too. Thank you again.

Supplies, constipation, CVC dressing changes, medications not helping pt for over 24 hours, things that the family could take care of easily or could wait until the next morning, etc. that's a good idea about the Friday visit, or increasing the visits. We are pretty good about increasing the visits for the most part.... but we are also understaffed during the day- another case manager is needed but not being sought as of yet. A couple of times I've felt I should have visited a pt when I didn't and seen pt's that I shouldn't have. I'm still learning.:). Thank you- I will talk to the team , because I can think of 2 pt's right away that would benefit from an additional visit or a Friday visit.

Thank you for the response. I agree with you. I don't want to be 'that nurse' either- . Some nights it can be frustrating when I am driving long distances...:/

I work mostly on call. My question is are there calls that you receive from pt's or families that want you to make a visit when it isn't an urgent situation or if its for something that could be solved over the phone or taken care of by a family member? How do you handle these situations?