Recommended experiences before Hospice transfer?

[JacelRN, BSN, RN]

Hello Everyone,

I have been a silent reader on this board, especially the hospice section.

I could use some advice and recommendations from those of you who can help.

I am a new nurse, fresh from orientation and working now for 3 months. Currently I work on a renal/dialysis/urology floor that serves with a Med/Surg basis. I work nights and can have up to 8 patients. I find the work to be challenging, not in difficulty but in what I wish my nursing career to be. When I was an aide working through school I had the priveledge of working on a floor with hospice rooms. Those by far were my favorite patients to work with. I feel a true calling to one day work in hospice.

My dilema is this. I had planned on moving to hospice after 1 years time spent learning my skills and gaining experience, I never intended to remain on my current floor. However, I have had some horribly incompassionate run-ins with co-workers, doctors, and even patients on my floor. I realize no where is perfect, but is it naive of me to believe that the hospice setting may honor such ideas as compassion, love, respect, and sensitivy more so than in most areas of nursing? I feel this must exist somewhere and hospice seems the answer.

Please, if anyone can give me some insight into what I can consider regarding moving to hospice now versus later, I would appreciate it.

Longing for better,

JacelRN

[aimeee, BSN, RN]

I realize no where is perfect, but is it naive of me to believe that the hospice setting may honor such ideas as compassion, love, respect, and sensitivy more so than in most areas of nursing? I feel this must exist somewhere and hospice seems the answer.

Yes, those ideas are at the forefront of hospice focus. But we are able to do that because we have already faced the certain mortality of our patients. On a hospital unit, the usual focus is preservation and prolongation of life. All else is secondary. On a renal/dialysis unit that focus may be even more prevalent that on some of the others. Perhaps transfer to a different unit might relieve some of your frustration and also allow you to broaden your experience? The more you are exposed to now, the greater the resources you will have to draw upon when you are in the field on your own in hospice.

[gizelda196]

Hi.

I was just curious about the Hospice rooms in your hospital .I am joining a pallaitive care task force at my hospital.(I have seemed to attract some attention at my job concerning dying pateints).Well I would like some info on theese hospice beds.How did it work?Thanks

[JacelRN, BSN, RN]

Hi.

I was just curious about the Hospice rooms in your hospital .I am joining a pallaitive care task force at my hospital.(I have seemed to attract some attention at my job concerning dying pateints).Well I would like some info on theese hospice beds.How did it work?Thanks

Well,

These beds were at the end of our unit and there were 4 of them. They were decorated more beautifully than a regular room and they had an ajoining room for family and friends to remain. It had privacy doors between them if needed. It was a nice set up.

They no longer have this site however as it was moved to another floor and now a hospice business runs it. For when it lasted, it was wonderful!

JacelRN

[gizelda196]

It sounds like it was wonderful!