Working as a Hospice Nurse

Working as a Hospice Nurse There are numerous positions within the nursing profession, hospice care being an important one. Many people think of a hospice nurse as always working in extremely sad situations, and while it is true that some sadness is involved, it can also be uplifting to know you are helping a very ill patient.

Working as a hospice nurse, it is most likely that you would work closely with the patient's family; most family members prefer to be involved. While providing medical and emotional support to the patient, you are also expected to provide emotional support to the family involved, at times they need more emotional support than the patient themselves.

The Cons of Hospice Nursing The most important disadvantage of hospice nursing is in the nature of the care itself. You will be helping people who are terminal, giving them end-oflife care. This means that you will have to deal with death on a very regular, often daily basis. Because you spend so much time caring for the patients before they die, you may have a sense of attachment to them. As a result, the loss can be felt very strongly and this is certainly difficult to cope with.

Your role is to make someone as comfortable as possible, and to counsel and guide their loved ones until the patient passes away.

The second disadvantage is the setting where you will deliver the service itself. There are a number of hospitals that have dedicated units for hospices, but it is far more likely that you will care for patients in their own homes. These circumstances can make your job somewhat unpredictable and difficult, mainly because you will not have immediate access to all the medical facilities you may feel you require. One final location where you may be able to work is in a hospice center. Although there are some excellent centers around the country, most of them have very high workloads and are finding it hard to cope with demand while still delivering excellent service. As a result, many hospice nurses feel as if they are not empowered to do their job properly, which can be frustrating.

Related: Tips to Help your Family Adjust to Your Hectic Schedule Then, there is the fact that it can be very difficult to really keep up with all the new medical advances, needs and demands in the field of medicine itself. Because medical care changes continuously, thanks to further scientific and technological advancement, you have to go on courses and training in order to keep up. This can be particularly challenging in hospice care, because it is hard to find the time to do this on top of a heavy workload.

Finally, the reality is that it is very challenging to deal with death and terminal illness on a daily basis. Even if you are somehow able to not build an attachment to the patients you are caring for, it is impossible not to be affected by the death that is all around you. This is why it really is a field that you must be right for, one that you feel you have been chosen for.

The Pros of Hospice Nursing Although the list of cons may seem quite long, the benefits, for many, can outweigh the various disadvantages. Being able to look after people who are terminally ill gives you the opportunity to really make a meaningful difference to their lives, which is really what nursing is all about. This is particularly true for the family and loved ones of the person you are caring for. They are dealing with the fact that someone they care for is dying, and it is your role to make sure they do not, on top of that, have to worry about their levels of comfort. They want to be able to put all their energy on the passing of the person they love, and want to know that they are being cared for properly during that time.

Furthermore, as a hospice nurse, your job will be incredibly varied. You will work as part of a team of experts in order to make sure every patient’s needs are met fully. You will work together to ensure the patient and their family are comfortable and that they have all the information they need as well. Your role is as much about education as what it is about caring, providing people with a greater understanding about what is happening to them or someone they love. You will be a true advocate for each and every patient that comes under your care.

Related: Nurse Practitioner vs Doctor Of Nursing Practice There are many more pros and cons of hospice nursing, but these are often seen as the biggest ones. Choosing to work in this field is a big decision and one that you should weigh up carefully. Although it is an incredibly rewarding job, it really does take a special kind of person to deal with these challenges and you must question whether you are that special kind of person or not. The rewards you can receive if you do decide to work in this field are tremendous, however.

Working as a hospice nurse is not always easy; in fact some days are extremely difficult. However, the facts are there is a cycle of life, and death is inevitably a part of that cycle. Working with a patient that is terminal can allow you to advocate for them, help them express their wishes to their loved ones, and help the patient and their family come to terms with the reality. Allowing the patient to express their feelings, concerns, and even anger can be a huge benefit, as many patients are reluctant to talk to family

members about death. Mediating between the patient and their family can be beneficial, agreeing that the patient discuss their thoughts and feelings openly, without dwelling on their impending situation can allow for some closure on behalf of the patient.

Hospice nursing is not right for every nurse, however, for some, it is a way of giving back, and they have come to accept this as their calling for a career. It's not always good, however, nothing in life is, and ultimately it does have its rewards, every patient deserves a good nurse to care for them.

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