Her niece met me at the door and whispered conspiratorially, "Don't use the word 'hospice.' I'm afraid it will make her give up." As she ushered me down the long hall to the dark room shut off from...
I very much appreciate your comment. Terminology does make a difference! Comfort Care vs. Hospice Care; DNR vs. AND. These are small but important distinctions. This national conversation is just...
You are so right! And patients are ultimately the ones to determine how the situation is handled based on our assessments. I agree with your extra attention on the family and their needs. Thank you...
What you describe is a very difficult dilemma. When people are alert and oriented, I find they often know more than they verbalize. Do you find this to be true with your patients? Some of the older...
You are so right. And I find that my job as a hospice nurse is to set aside my own natural reactions and to see beyond the patient's and family's initial response. Instead, I try to acknowledge the...
To automotiveRN67: Thank you for your thorough and educational response. You have addressed many of the issues that come up with hospice care, both initially and as the hospice relationship...
Well said. Whether or not we use the specific word, "hospice," the intent of pursuing comfort care must be abundantly clear to the patient and also to those involved in their care. Thank you for your...
You make a good point. I did not include much background in this story, but I knew the family well and knew that they were Christians. It is critical that as professional nurses, we listen carefully...
jeastridge replied to Njustice's topic in Nursing Career
As a almost 20 year Parish Nurse and a regular part time hospice nurse, your comments are interesting to me. I'm glad you enjoy what you are doing in ministry. Since you already enjoy your current...
Areensee-- Just as we are all unique creations, I find we come to a time of parting, to death, with widely differing perspectives. Do you agree? It is our privilege in hospice, to help the patient,...
MSNce1--I appreciate your comments. The discussion about feeding--what, when, how much--is a hard one. You will likely find voices all over the spectrum on this. In our hospice, we try to advocate for...
We bring our personal life experiences with us to work, don't we? I think one of the keys to being successful nurses is to to let these experiences inform and enrich our professional lives, without...
Yes, you are right, but isn't it wonderful that we can accompany someone as they go down the road on this last journey? We can come alongside our patients and just be there, giving the gift of...