1 week older as a new Hospice nurse, and three deaths later

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I am still wondering what the general philosophy is out there re: time off and imminent deaths. In the last week, three of my people have passed and two more are close to being imminent and here I am at the end of my week. The other two nurses I work with, say "call me if I am off; if you get imminent notification of one of their clients, they come in on their day off" but I still worry that I will just burn up with so much overtime and little control re: on and off time. In the last two weeks, I worked 87 hrs. I'm not a young chicken anymore, so have to manage my energy well. What do you think??

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YOU SHOULD NOT PUT YOUR PATIENTS BEFORE YOURSELF...PERIOD. End of story! Patients will be dying all of the time. If it is your time off, you should not come in to take care of a dying patient - let someone else take care of it. Remember your boundaries. Those other nurses will burn out and their managers should reprimand them for coming in on their days off to take care of their patients.

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Specializes in Hospice and Palliative Care, Family NP.
I am still wondering what the general philosophy is out there re: time off and imminent deaths. In the last week, three of my people have passed and two more are close to being imminent and here I am at the end of my week. The other two nurses I work with, say "call me if I am off; if you get imminent notification of one of their clients, they come in on their day off" but I still worry that I will just burn up with so much overtime and little control re: on and off time. In the last two weeks, I worked 87 hrs. I'm not a young chicken anymore, so have to manage my energy well. What do you think??

That is the problem with so many hospice nurses, they do not care for themselves. When you think you are the only one that can take care of a death or the only one who can care for your patients, you are doomed to burnout.

When you are off, shut off your phone! Period! Like you, I am not a spring chicken anymore and I just can't work the crazy long hours.

Cindy

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