Call me Al

We have covered it but rarely.

Make getting prescriptions for roxanol and their other control 2 drugs part of the admission process. Our docs in this area are used to us asking for them with admission orders. Other meds like Ativan, levsin, atropine are part of our protocol which docs sign on admission and we can call them in without needing a hard script. Our medical director is also awesome in helping when primary docs are elusive.

Yes, it can be done. I'm in my 14th year of homeschooling and my oldest is a successful college student. I have worked different prn and part time positions depending on the age and needs of my kids. Right now I work 2 nights a week. My days are very full but a good full. I enjoy my kids and we have fun together. My hardest struggle is getting my teen and tween to all their activities and social events and balancing my work schedule. I'm tired a lot but that is probably a challenge for all working parents.

I have been in hospice for 5 yrs and have never had a pt on TPN.

I am reading Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth and find it fascinating.

Never failed a nursing course. Failing meant scoring below a 75% and it also meant getting kicked out of the program. I also passed NCLEX on the first attempt with 75 questions.

I don't know about a shortage but it is not hard getting a nursing job in south east Georgia.

Gemini, you sound like a wonderful caregiver. The best thing for you to do is call your hospice and discuss the unmanaged symptoms with them. I'm sorry your loved one is going through this.

I have worked prn at 2 different hospices over the past few years and have done a lot of call. At my present hospice, all the nurses help with call and I am required to work 2 call shifts a month. I determine which shifts I work. I get $2 per hour plus my hourly wage and differential if I make a visit. I would not do call for only $30 per day. That's too low for what typically turns out to be a busy shift.

I have worked for two very different hospices over the past few years. It is my understanding that we cannot take dc meds without an order from their primary care physician. Many times on admission, the pt or family will ask if there are some meds that can be stopped. Hospice may make some recommendations but the pcp always makes the decision.

Get your RN, if you can a BSN. My hospice prefers hiring BSNs.

I have only been a hospice nurse the last few years but have many years nursing experience before that. I have seen many bad deaths. I'm sure many of us have. We have all seen the terminal pt who is a full code. Their last days are filled with pain, confusion, drains, tubes, lines, edema, seizures and then the futile code that cracks ribs and doesn't bring them back. Hospice is a better way. Our hospice team have helped so many pts and their families get through difficult times. I consider it a privilege to be allowed to be so intimately involved in a dying pt's life. I can hold their hand and look into their eyes and the knowledge and training I have can bring them comfort in their last days. This is more rewarding to me than any other nursing job I have had.

I did it for 6 years and finally had to switch to days. Night shift was making me ill: headaches, palpitations, low energy. It would take me three days to recover.

I worked right up to the end and my son was born the day after I went on maternity leave. Looking back I was young and naive and very fortunate. Most of my co workers ended up with complications and struggled with preterm labor. Hospital work is hard on pregnancy.

Here lately, I seem to be a crazy magnet. When I was in nursing school, I determined psych nursing was not for me, but it cannot be escaped. I work in hospice but the last few weeks I have had pts and family that have been off the charts in their paranoia, anxiety and even aggression. Maybe I am carrying a full moon in my back pocket. I think I rather deal with poop. :-)