Essay On Being A Hospice Nurse

When people ask me why I am interested in nursing, my thoughts always return to my late father. I was his caregiver for eight months while he battled with lung cancer. During his hospital visits and treatment we encountered many different nurses. Some of the most memorable were the hospice nurses that cared for him during his last days. My feeling at that time was that it takes a special kind of person to be a hospice nurse. I questioned how being a hospice nurse could feel rewarding. I heard several stories from the attending nurses. I didn’t realize how much of an impact these nurses had on not only the patient but also on the family. It has been said that “It is more than just a job, it is a true passion and some would even say that it is a calling.” …show more content…
There are definitely cons that are obvious in that statement itself. If you easily form attachments with patients this could be an emotionally taxing job. It may require learning coping skills as well as learning how to help the family come to terms with death and coping with it themselves. Some hospitals may have hospice centers but most often hospice nursing takes place in the patients home. This can be a disadvantage because you may not have all the medical supplies or resources readily available without making trips back and forth to the medical facility. Another disadvantage may be if the patients home is not a stable environment. As a hospice nurse you are the designated one to communicate with the family and help the family prepare. An obstacle in this process could be if the family is not accepting or is having difficulty coping, the hospice nurse could find herself undergoing maybe some verbal abuse as the family members are trying to channel their grief. It is my belief the biggest con would be dealing with death on a regular basis. You may have to become somewhat emotionally