SCARED??! NEW Hospice job LVN

Lifeslady · Jun 24, 2011

First off Congrats on your new job! I really cant offer any info as I am still a student, however I have a question for you. Did the facility you are at require you to have any experience? What region are you in? If you dont mind me asking what is the pay that they are starting you at also? My friends sister is an LPN at a hospice facility here in the south making 23.50/hour. She is currently going for her RN, I will ask her her thoughts on your post and respond as soon as I get them! Best wishes!!!!

caliotter3 · Jun 24, 2011

Check out the hospice and home health forums where you can get a lot of input about what you will be doing. BTW, this agency is not a good one if they did not feel it necessary to orient a nurse who is new to nursing as well as hospice. You definitely need to do some work on your own before you start going to cases. Request a better orientation. You, and your patients, deserve it.

Anonymous2 · Jun 29, 2011

Congrats on your job, I want to work in a hospice when I get my license. May I ask your starting wage?

TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN · Jun 29, 2011

Hmm... sounds a little fishy. Hospice typically requires at least 1-2 years of experience and to not provide you with any orientation is very inappropriate. I would highly recommend that you do extra research on your own as far as what hospice is and what measures are commonly used in end of life care.

Hospice is NOT easy, it is physically and emotionally draining, you have to know pain management like the back of your hand and be able to educate family members and answer every question they may have regarding their loved one's current pain interventions and the dying process. I have seen many nurses unintentionally make a patient's death even more excruciating than what it needed to be simply because they did not understand or know what end of life care encompassed.

If I were in your shoes, I would demand an orientation, training with one of the nurses there. If they refuse to give you that, then that company isn't worth your time and is setting you up to fail.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jun 29, 2011

That is nuts. You and the hospice patients deserve better. Not to mention the on-call RN. What duties are they calling for in your job description?

shelliemarie7 · Jun 29, 2011

I ended up declining the job. When I asked for training they said no, its rude to the patients! I said well it would be rude of me to take care of someone who's about to die and not know what I'm doing! So I didn't take the job. They seemed mad at me like I was being stupid or something, but I know I made the right choice. I'm posting under a different name because my usual user name is tripping or something it won't let me post a reply. Anyway They were offering 20.00/hr plus 30.00 per shift. It was for continuous care. I have 2 new interviews this week and I'm excited to find a REAL job that TRAINS you so you know what the heck your doing! Thanks to all of you for your help = )

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jun 29, 2011

You may be a newbie, but you are a smart newbie! Good for you. Excellent decision. I really feel sorry for their patients that they would just throw someone in there with no experience.

How to move, bathe, etc without causing pain, how to treat side effects and other sx of dying either with meds or other interventions. Signs of distress....

How tragic for their patients really.

Megasmile2 · Jul 15, 2011

I worked Hospice for 11 years and recently resigned due to burn out which I didnt even notice but my family did It is a really rewarding job but you really become close to the family and patients Just remember take time for you !! let your mind rest when not at work or it will comsume you heart and soul :redbeathe