Trying to find my path in nursing

[Flutteryby]

Hello everyone,

A little about me...I am in nursing school and will graduate at the end of July 2010. I have applied to be a PCA at a local hospital just to get some extra experience in the hospital environment. I would like to get a plan together of how to proceed once I'm done with school. I am 31 and this is a second career for me. I chose to go into nursing after caring for my husband who passed away in 2008. I love and appreciate the mission of palliative and hospice care. They made such an impact on our lives. I also like the idea of providing comfort rather than being desperate to find a cure. So I am hoping that hospice is the right place for me.

When I am done with school I know that I need to start out on a med/surg floor to hone my assessment skills. How long should I work med/surg before applying for a hospice position?

I currently live in Cleveland and there are a ton of jobs here. However, I would like to move to the south but it seems like jobs are not as plentifull there. Should I just stick it out in Cleveland until I have a couple years of hospice experience or will I be able to get a job in a new state with just med/surg experience?

What if I start out at a hospice residence facility and then move to in home hospice? Is that acceptable experience? I don't even know if a hospice facility would accept a new grad.

Sorry to ramble on there. Thank you for any advice you can provide.

[tewdles, RN]

I am sorry that it was personal loss that inspired you toward hospice. My sincere condolences.

Many hospice facilities will hire new grads. It is true that your assessment skills may not match that of someone who comes with decades of experience, but you are trained and capable. I would suggest starting in a facility rather than in the field simply because the field is very autonomous and I feel that new nurses need more mentoring than is possible in the field. We want you all to grow and succeed afterall. Additionally, your experience with tubes, wounds, and stomas is minimal and you will gain confidence working with those more complicated hospice patients in the more controlled environment of the facility with other staff to assist you.

In terms of a move...search your heart. You are embarking on a nursing career that requires that we have good personal care. It IS sad and stressful to deal with dying people and their grieving families day after day and we need to have a functional support system to remain healthy nurses. I fear that you may lose that if you relocate to an area where you have no family or friends early in this process.

Good luck...I hope you find what you want and need in nursing.

[Flutteryby]

twedles,

Thank you for your reply. You brought up some very good points that I had not thought of.

I am a person of faith and I belive everything happens for a reason. I was pulled to nursing once I saw what they did, how much they impacted people's lives and how much goodness I could give back to the world. I hope I am not too naive.

I will have some support with me when I move but yes the majority of my family and friends will be in Ohio. I don't know if that will be enough. Thank you for bring this to my attention.

Thank you for your advice.