Hospice nurses are in high demand, and that’s not surprising. They’re caring people who want to help people in a time of need. But what many aren’t aware of is that there’s more to being a hospice nurse than just giving medications and holding hands with dying patients. Here are five myths about working as a hospice nurse:
Becoming a hospice nurse requires a huge commitment.
As a hospice nurse, you will be working with people who are dying. It’s important that you know how to treat them and their families in a way that respects their beliefs and helps them live with dignity. You need to be able to commit yourself fully, emotionally as well as physically, for the duration of your employment at this job.
It’s also important that you have an open mind about all aspects of nursing care so that when faced with difficult situations, such as delivering bad news or dealing with patients’ families during times of grief or anger (which often happens), you can find ways of calming down those around us without making things worse by being judgmental or dismissive towards others’ opinions on what should happen next.
Hospice nurses have no hope for patients’ survival.
In the hospice setting, patients are no longer given a “hope” for survival. Instead, we are given a realistic prognosis and trained to help our patients and their families cope with the dying process. We know that death is inevitable in every circumstance and there isn’t much we can do about it except make sure our patients have as many good days as possible before they pass away peacefully at home or in hospice care.
Hospice nurses make tons of money.
One of the biggest misconceptions about working as a hospice nurse is that you’ll make tons of money. The truth is, your salary depends on experience and education. The average salary for a hospice nurse is $72,000 per year—but that number can vary greatly depending on where you live. For example, suppose you’re living in an area with high unemployment rates and low wages (like rural America). In that case, it’s possible that your salary won’t be as high as someone who lives somewhere else with higher wages and job opportunities (like New York City).
If this sounds like something that might interest you but still fills you with fear because it seems too good to be true? Don’t worry! We’ve got some tips for surviving being new to the world of hospice nursing so we don’t have any regrets later down the line when we realize how difficult our decision was compared to what we could have done instead:
Hospice nurses don’t deal with families as much as doctors and social workers.
As a hospice nurse, you’re often the first person to meet with families. It is your job to explain what hospice is and how it works. You will also be involved in helping families understand the patient’s prognosis, which can sometimes be very difficult for them to process.
Hospice nurses spend all day holding their patients’ hands.
While many hospice nurses are there to hold the hands of their patients, they also provide comfort and support. Hospice nurses often assist with ADLs such as bathing, dressing and feeding. They can also help patients with anxiety or depression by reassuring them that they will not be alone as they go through this difficult time in their lives.
Nurses who work at a hospice home may spend about 80% of their time holding hands or sitting near each other to provide more one-on-one care for each patient. However, this does not mean that the entire day is spent doing nothing but holding hands!
Working in hospice means putting your life on hold.
While the hours may be long, working in hospice is not a full-time job. You can still have a personal life and work as a hospice nurse. In fact, many nurses are able to combine their passion for caring for others with career goals such as becoming an RN (registered nurse) or purchasing their own practice.
You’ll have plenty of time to spend with your loved ones while you’re away from home—and if that means traveling for work or playing golf every weekend, so be it!
If you love animals but don’t want one at home yet—or if you’ve never had one before but would like one now—you’ll be happy knowing that most hospice facilities allow pets in patient rooms too!
To wrap things up
As we’ve seen, there are many misconceptions about this field. But the good news is that you don’t have to get swept up in them. You can work as a hospice nurse without letting myths and misconceptions stand in your way! In fact, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to help people and impact their lives—just by being who you are.
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