Why Working As A Hospice Nurse is So Fulfilling

Wednesday, April 11, 2018






Hospice care is focused on providing healthcare and
palliative care in the final months of someone’s life, though the term may apply to any terminal diagnosis regardless of expected remaining life. You’re there to provide comfort, support, care, and meet other needs in the final phase of someone’s life. Here are a few reasons why working as a hospice nurse is so fulfilling.


Hospice Care Is Holistic
Hospice nursing is, by its very definition, holistic. You aren’t just providing medical care for their issues right now. You’re also providing emotional and social support to those who need it most. It encompasses psychological support, pain management and, sometimes, bereavement counseling for them and their families as they come to terms with someone’s upcoming or recent death.


You’re Part of a Whole Team



It is easy for nurses to say they are part of a team, but aside from the doctor and office staff, it may not feel that way. Compare this to hospice nursing, where you are truly part of a whole team.


Nurses coordinate with caregivers, home health aides, social workers, therapists, physicians, and the family of the patient. The team may include religious and secular counselors before and after the person makes their transition. It involves coordinating with the hospital that released the person to hospice at home and doctor’s offices that provide treatment for issues that arise. And they’re all coming together in an interdisciplinary team to provide total support and care to the dying person.


To prepare for a career in hospice nursing, you should consider earning an advanced nursing degree from
Bradley University. You’ll find your career opportunities open up in every area after you complete a doctor of nursing practice degree from Bradley University Online. An advanced degree may allow you to lead this team instead of merely being a part of it.


You Learn about Your Patients’ Lives – and Life


 
Working in hospice care means that you’re going to see the same patient for weeks, months or even years. Because of their situation, you meet the family members that are supporting them and taking care of them. You have the opportunity to create relationships with your patients and their families. And you help them strengthen their own relationships when you enable them to bring a loved one home. Visiting someone in their home gives you an opportunity to learn much more about them and their lives than you would if they were visiting the office for an appointment or spending a few days in the ward.

 It Matters
Everything you do for a patient improves their quality of life. Listening to someone share their regrets or fears lifts part of the burden from them, and they are more likely to share such things with you because they can talk to you without leaving that burden with their families. Whether you help the family work through a conflict or fill out legal forms, the assistance will benefit the loved ones of your patient for years to come.


Conclusion


Hospice nursing may deal with the end of life, but it is not depressing; quite the contrary. In fact, it is a highly rewarding career. It allows nurses to live out the epitome of compassion and care every day, knowing they create a world of difference for every patient and their families.





 
 
 photo ScreenShot2014-06-25at102225PM_zps4fdda517.png











No comments:

Post a Comment

I love reading and responding to comments but in order to get my reply you must ensure you are NOT a no-reply blogger. If you are, here are some quick steps to change that!

1. Go to the home page of your Blogger account.
2. Select the drop down beside your name on the top right corner and choose Blogger Profile.
3. Select Edit Profile at the top right.
4. Select the Show My Email Address box.
5. Hit Save Profile.