CJ9330

Thanks so much. I just happened to run across one corporate apartment that is turn-key, great location, all-inclusive, etc. If that doesn't pan out I'll just turn it over to the agency. Contract is not signed yet so I won't be doing anything til agreements are finalized. Again, thanks much.

Hi there. I am new to travel nursing & am considering booking corporate housing myself for lodging. Has anyone ever used a company that specialties in locating corporate housing? Is it just an unnecessary extra expense? If it is worthwhile, any suggestions on reputable companies?

For myself, I would have been grateful to have been given a 'heads-up' & be able to come in a tad prepared. Just the fact that you are giving her this consideration says alot about the type of preceptor you are. That's awesome.

I think that one of the best pieces of advice I ever had concerning an upcoming interview, is to remember that it is a 2-way street. Of course they will ask me questions; but I should be prepared to ask my own - let them know I have done my research on the position I'm interviewing for. You did not mention what position it is for, but since you are a RN, I'm just taking a guess that it might be a case management position (which is what I do): 1) Is it hourly, salary, or pay per visit. (There are pros & cons of all 3) 2) If the position is for a CM position, am I required to do on-call after hours? Or back-up to the on-call nurse? (I am a CM & must back-up the on-call nurse 1 night a week, & 1 weekend a month.) 3) If I'm required to cover on-call, what is the hourly rate for being on-call/back-up? Do I get paid an additional hourly rate if I must go out on a call? (Our company pays our regular hourly rate if we must go out.) 4) Does the company provide patients/families with continuous care? If so, are CM's required to sit cont care? If so, how often & for how many hours? 5) What is mileage reimbursement? 6) What is a typical CM/patient ratio? 7) Must the CM make weekly visits to every patient? Or are weekly SN visits alternated with another nurse (i.e. LPN)? 8) Does the CM have a back-up (i.e. an LPN) for prn visits? 9) How many hours/week does a CM usually work (between visits & documenting) I know this is probably not what you were expecting in reply, but I assure you - these are questions that are important to a hospice nurse - you want to know these answers! I went to the interview with my questions written out on a tablet.... don't know if that made a difference to them - but I did get the job. Best of luck to you!

CP... I am so very sorry; my heartfelt sympathies are with you & your family. Definitely check out the website that Leslie recommended. From my own experience as a hospice nurse, and a sad situation my family experienced with a hospice in a different location, I would ask a few questions of a hospice that might take care of my family. As mentioned by someone previously, I would want to know if they would allow my family member the right to make their own decisions (i.e. continuing meds) I would want to know if they provide continuous care when the end is near. How fast their on-call nurses respond in urgent situations. If their nurses have standing orders that provide for situations when current pain/respiratory meds are not effective (sadly for my great-uncle, who was 95 years old & was dying cancer w/bone mets, his hospice nurses could not provide adequate pain relief - their MD would not approve anything different or even a higher dosage, which was very ineffective.) And I would ask questions specific to my loved-one's illness (i.e. what they would have in place to manage resp distress). I don't know if these things pertain to your situation or not; they are just things I would want to know if it were my family. Again, my deepest sympathies. May God bless you all.

Bless your heart... I can certainly relate to it all being too overwhelming... & to the tears. I have been a hospice CM for a little over a year now; did oncall for a year prior to that. I can't take your pain nor your exhaution away, I can only share a few things that I try to do to minimize my stress level. 1) I totally agree with Spidey's mom - set boundries. Each & every time they call your cell, tell them that they must call the office number. If I'm at home - I do not answer those phone calls; I have even let it go to voicemail, then call the oncall nurse & ask them to call the patient back. I love my patients dearly, I am not being cold hearted - but I must also take care of myself if I am going to continue doing this job that I love. 2) If my patients ask me questions concerning resources, etc. - I tell them I'm very sorry, but that is not my area of expertise & that I will have a social worker, chaplain, etc. call them. It takes at least a little pressure off of me by not having to play all roles. 3) When I sense that a patient/family is wanting me to help them make a decision, I look them in the eye & tell them, gently/kindly/tenderly that these are decisions only they can make; I can give them all the info, but they need to take time to consider it after I leave & make the best decision they can for themselves. 4) Just lately I am learning that after I leave a particularly difficult situation, I will pull over in a parking lot somewhere & take just a few minutes to say a little prayer, & then ask myself if I am taking on roles that are not mine, if I am feeling unjustified guilt, and if I am attempting to relieve a type of suffering that I am incapable of doing. I remind myself to lay that problem in God's/Universes hands & listen to some soothing music on the way to the next home. I also do this in between back-to-back phone calls. It helps... it really does. 5) In the evenings, if I have not 'let go' of a specific situation from that day, I have a notebook that I write about it in; usually after writing a few minutes, the truth of the situation - and my part in it, will come to me. It helps me 'let go'. 6) And occasionally.... I'll go to our really awesome Chaplain's office, have a short meltdown, tell her 'thank you!' & then go wash my face & go on to the next visit! 7) My lunch time - even if it's only 30 minutes or so, is spent away from work with a comforting book; right now I'm reading the Jan Karon, Mitford series. AND - Please, please, please don't forget to remember that we cannot relieve all suffering of all patients/families.... but the services we provide are relieving a whole lot of suffering, from a whole lot of people. Keep sharing with other hospice nurses.... we understand, we really do! This is a really tough job we have chosen, find ways to take care of you!

I worked a cardiac floor at a hospital before going to hospice CM. They are 2 entirely different worlds. Personally, I dearly love hospice, but I know many that have tried it & did not. Every nurse has their own niche. As mentioned above, I would get more info on the job offered. The only full-time desk position (nursing related anyway) at our company is our PCC (Patient Care Coordinator) & that position requires extensive knowledge in hospice care; the PCC coordinates all CM's, LPN's, CHHA's, Social Workers & Chaplains; and is familiar with all the comfort meds we use, the DME & Medicare requirements, etc. That being said.... if you've had enough of a hospital, and can walk a patient & their family through end-of-life issues - definitely look into hospice; it's amazingly rewarding! Good luck!

I find it's a case by case decision. I seldom d/c things like BP or thyroid meds, inhalers, etc., especially if they are still doing well; but as a decline starts, I frequently try to get a sense of how the family feels about discontinuing anything 'unnecessary', i.e. vitamins, appetite stimulants, etc. As suggested above, I also frequently call our hospice pharmacist and/or MD for suggestions.

I prefer hourly, myself. I don't frequently work over 40, but it can get a bit crazy now & then... wouldn't want to be on a salary at those times. My daughter does pay per visit, and in this area that generally means no benefits; that alright in her case, but I need insurance, so that would not work out for me.