KMRN81

Hi there! Hospice RN for 5 years. It depends on the setting and acuity level of the hospice. In the home hospice setting, you will probably be doing lab draws, dressing changes, managing Pleurx and/or Aspira drains, inserting foleys, that kind of thing. My inpatient hospice is high acuity and we care for patients who are trached/vented, LVADs, access chest ports, start PIVs, various drain systems, chest tubes, wounds, etc. So, lots of skills are required but training is provided on all of them. If she's hesitant, she can reach out to your local hospice and ask to do share time as she's interested in applying. It's not the right fit for every nurse, but when it is - it really is!

I think clarification is needed on the type of suctioning you are talking about in order to gauge a more accurate response to your survey. For example, deep suctioning = mostly a no-no due to increased production of mucus from agitating the mucosa. Oral suctioning is much better tolerated.

I'm seeing this post so late in the game!! I work at an inpatient hospice unit and we use it for select patients. I LOVE this thing. First of all, as mentioned by some other posters, it's not for every patient (agitation/restlessness, frequent ambulation, etc.). However, I've used it with great success on the ladies with tumor burden r/t ovarian ca, on lasix and too dyspneic to get OOB and unable to tolerate in general r/t pressure, burning, spasms, etc. I've strongly advocated for this product on my unit and have networked with nurses in the hospital setting who are also using it to share ideas. I will also say this. PureWick the company was bought out by Bard, in part because the small smart-up couldn't handle the volume of orders. Guys. This is *likely* the future of female incontinence, and better models are likely to come about as a result of hospital requirements to reduce CAUTI. TIPS FOR USE: -Set suction to 40-60mmHg CONTINUOUS - not intermittent. It won't suction pee that is already soaked into the bed pad or diaper so you need a continuous suction. This should go without saying, but it's happened. Also, higher than that setting may result in the patient feeling the sensation of air "down there"...which...they might not complain about...LOL -Replace it every 8-12 hours (once on your shift) OR if soiled with FECES or BLOOD - not urine. It's expected to have some urine on the wick itself, which will dry d/t continuous suction. -Reposition PureWick every time you reposition the patient -Make sure you have the bottom of the PureWick at the perineum to best catch all the urine (watch the videos on their site) PROS: -Suctions most urine away from the skin -No odor in the suction canister - similar to anything else you would suction to a canister -Easy to position -Prevents excoriation from frequent urination - preserves skin integrity much better than plain old incontinence ? CONS: -It doesn't catch every last drop of urine, especially if not properly placed or if the patient self-positions in bed and the PureWick isn't adjusted accordingly -Harder to keep in place for thinner people without some MacGyvering (mesh underwear or taping the PureWick to the patient) -It can be a hard sell to patients/families/other nurses who are skeptical about its use -Currently, there is only one size/model available -It's expensive

I've heard great things about Kaiser. I hope you love it and best of luck! :)

I prefer 12 hr shifts, hands down. The 8 hour shift nurses often leave around 5 pm, only to get stuck in rush hour traffic! No thanks! I love commuting during off-peak hours, and having 3 days off in a row helps me recharge and relax in between my 12-hr shifts. Our 8-hour nurses like their shifts because they rely on the hours (40 compared to 36) each week.

Just a lil funny for ya :) Most of us drove in on Friday afternoon and were able to get out Sunday night or Monday morning. The night shifters and some of the aides & kitchen staff dug everyone's cars out. We gotta take care of each other! Hope everyone is all dug out by now!

I live 25 miles from work. This weekend is my weekend to work (of course, lol). I'll be heading in Friday and will plan to stay all weekend. The stress of driving in the snow is worse than just sucking it up and getting to the unit before the storm. Granted, with no small kids at home, my hubby can handle the shoveling. We will probably all be in cots in the conference room...yay....at least my employer will feed us if we stay over! :)

The same thing happened to me. Despite my workout routine & healthy eating, I gained weight. You may not have much luck dropping the pounds until you switch to days. Just an unfortunate byproduct of being awake at night and how it messes with your body. Good luck!

Oh, I see what you mean! Different than what I expected! Hopefully it's nothing but a scratch from something else. Easier said than done, but try and relax a little. Whether you were scratched by a needle or something else, it can't be changed. I'm sure you washed your hand as well as you could too! Best of luck to you! :)

You may have scratched your knuckle on the sharps box itself when prying off the lid. I probably wouldn't ever attempt to open one though, they aren't really meant to be r/t that exact possibility!

After your first semester of nursing school, many states will allow you to become licensed as a CNA. For every one of my classmates who worked as a CNA in nursing school, we all transitioned into the RN role after we graduated. For those without CNA experience, it took up to a year to find work. Experience is always a good thing. Even if it doesn't turn into an RN job offer, it still provides you with hands-on patient experience that you will use everywhere you go. For likely very little extra effort on your part, you could be licensed as a CNA. In my eyes, it was the best decision I made in nursing school.

OP, that sounds like a tough situation, and I'm sorry you feel bullied into the nursing profession. I encourage you to to seek a career you would really love. Nursing is not the type of profession to get into if your heart isn't in it. I could give you many reasons why, if it would help your parents understand (unless they're nurses, in which case...)... There also isn't any guarantee of job security. Even many top students are having difficulty locating a job right out of nursing school. With all due respect to your parents, it might be a good idea to sit down with them and discuss your plans seriously. Maybe you could go to them with a plan of action in how you intend to succeed in your major of choice. Nursing pay & job availability vary greatly on location, level of experience, etc. and as I mentioned, really not meant to excel in if your heart isn't really in it. Life isn't all about job security, anyway! :) Best of luck to you, and please feel free to reach out if you want to talk more about it.

I'm curious - does your hospital have a hospice unit where nurses manage only one patient? I've never heard of that. I'm an inpatient hospice nurse and our ratio is 5:1.

I'm curious - does your hospital have a hospice unit where nurses manage only one patient? I've never heard of that. I'm an inpatient hospice nurse and our ratio is 5:1.

Inpatient hospice is much different than home hospice. A vented patient will be transferred to us from ICU for withdrawal from the vent to allow natural death (with the appropriate comfort medications). We don't make adjustments to the vent settings or wean patients. The pressors are allowed (without titration). The patient may die on the pressors anyway, or the patient/legal healthcare decision maker may request they be stopped. The wound care comes into play when we receive a patient with multiple staged decubitus, dehisced abdominals and/or multiple fistulas. We've done wound vacs when appropriate. Hospice has changed a lot over the years due to many reasons, one of which is Medicare. The goal is still the same, but some of the therapies the patients are provided would be too traumatic to d/c right away. They are also much sicker than in years past.