This week I got an opportunity to speak with the staff, in particular two Registered Nurses (RNs). We had a great discussion on their job at the hospice, how friends and relatives view them working in hospice and the balancing act they need to perform at work.
They both believe their job at the hospice to be very fulfilling. While “everyone” does not want to “play team” overall there is a great amount of teamwork and support among the entire staff at the hospice. ( I can vouch for this myself, titles do not matter at this hospice, EVERYONE DOES EVERYTHING.)
While nursing is seen as an admirable job, when the nurses speak of their position as a “hospice nurse” people (friends and family members) may turn their nose up, step back or say something to the effect of “why you want to work there?”. Some people say to the nurses “It takes a ‘special person’ to work there”. A sibling of one of the nurses told her “You just need to leave that job and get out of that death and dying stuff”, The nurses response “What if I were a Mortician making all that money? You would be probably be working right alongside me!”
I surprised to know that Nurses only get a 30 minute lunch break AND it is not a paid lunch (meaning that 1/2 hour that they are not working, they are not getting paid). It does not seem to matter because of the workload, there is no time to eat anyway. (Continue Reading “Mondays @ the hospice”)
Dying & Death Talk 