A Career As A Hospice Nurse

In every profession a person’s own perceptions and life experiences shape how they perform and function at that job. Nurses find this to be true more so than other professions, especially when it comes to treating someone with a terminal illness. Cancer has affected many people in my life,
I lost my grandmother and a close friend. But I have also dealt with end stage cancer first hand as a hospice nurse. In the case of my family, I watched my grandmother battle aggressive brain tumors called glioblastomas. As the cancer spread the chemotherapy and radiation had to intensify, which in turn caused her to become weaker. She needed more help with basic activities of daily living, including preparing meals. She also would
occasionally
My personal experience with hospice and my family helped mold me into a caring and knowledgable hospice nurse. My current role is as a charge nurse in the hospital where I act as a resource and patient advocate.
This is also the case when patient's are given a less than favorable diagnosis. I value the difficult decisions patient's and families have to make when deciding to initiate hospice care. One of the crucial components in hospice and palliative care is that the plan of care in patient driven. This means that as a nurse advocating for patients wishes is of the utmost importance. With personal and professional experiences, my view of a patient's quality of life not only encompasses their physical well-being, but also psychological and spiritual. Even though the end stage disease processes can be very similar, each patient is unique and should be treated as such. This means that not one terminally ill patient would have the same care plan as anyone else. My view on caring for a patient in their final stages of life, focus on improving their quality of life for whatever time they may
have
In collaboration with her physician, adjustments could be made to help aid in her pain management problems.

Discuss the positive aspects of palliative care and/or hospice care and encourage Mrs. Thomas to accept the help. She could benefit from the expertise of the nurses and their knowledge regarding symptom

management. Hospice provides for not only support for her physical well being but also emotional support. Her main problems include pain and emotional stress secondary to her physical changes. Help her contact her physician to ask for a hospice referral due to the multi-disciplinary approach.
Encourage her to involve her husband with the decision of initiating hospice services. Provide information on all of the services that hospice encompasses. Hospice care includes: RN(medication and symptom management, collaboration with MD), Home Health aides(help with ADL's and bathing), Social worker(assist with financial resources in the community, caregiving resources, emotional support for patient and family, aid in final arrangements, advance directive information, assist patient and husband