TheHungryThing

Good for you for going into hospice nursing. I have SO much respect for hospice nurses! Are you familiar with "caritas nursing" (also known as caring science?) It isn't specific to hospice, but lends itself very well to end of life care. It is focused on science-based delivery of truly wholistic care (and is by far my favorite nursing theoey.) There are some great books on Amazon, or you can learn more about it at Watson Caring Science Institute | I have never worked as a hospice nurse (outside of clinicals in school,) but I have cared for many dying patients in critical care. I have also experienced hospice care first hand while I cared for my terminally ill parent. In both my personal and professional experience, nurses who have the best impact are the ones who take the time to slow down and align themselves with where a patient is at on that particular day. (In caritas nursing this is called "attunement.") Hospice nursing is unique in the role nurses play. While it isn't technical in the same way ICU or OR nuraing is, hospice nurses need to have a really large tool box for dealing with people in all stages of grief & illness. Each person on each day requires a unique, individualized approach to meet their personal and physical needs. Becoming really competent in pain management is also really helpful for end of life care. Family memebers don't always know how to recognize whether or not their loved one is "comfortable" at the end of life. For example, they might undermedicate their loved one becaus they don't want them to be totally snowed and lose interaction, or they may be distressed by thinking that the irregular breathing pattern is painful. Being able to tell them what is a normal part of passing vs what is likely pain can help empower and comfort them. In general, a good understanding of the pathophys of dying can be a great help explaining (and treating) the symptoms your patients will have.

I hear most of my students and new grads say exactly what you're saying. Don't get discouraged! You CAN do this! Feeling "stupid" is all part of the process of learning. It's ok to feel stupid, but never forget that you're NOT actually an idiot! The best advice I can give you (both for nursing school and clinical practice) is to get comfortable with to feeling "dumb" and learn how to lean into the discomfort and channel it into growth. If nursing was easy, you wouldn't need school or clinicals or internships. Learning nursing is not easy. It takes a lot of studying & mentorship. Throughout nursing school, you will constantly come in contact with new and complicated information. Some skills/topics will take more time to feel like you really "get it," and that's ok! Whether you've been a nurse for a day or a lifetime, you will still come accross situations, procedures, and diagnoses that are confusing and unfamiliar. If you can start developing some gentle compassion for yourself as you learn, and get comfortable with feeling "dumb," you'll have a much more rewarding career that allows you to constantly grow. Nursing school is the perfect environment to practice getting comfortable with discomfort and channeling a positive inner-voice. It will all get easier with time, effort, and practice, and a year from now, you will be blown away by how confident you feel in these topics that you've been struggling with. Good Luck!!