In this episode I review some of the challenges we can face when caring for patients with a long history of substance abuse.
During the show I review the psychosocial reasons we will find ways to not admit people who need hospice.
I also discuss how we can easily complicate the qualifications for hospice when we interject our own feelings and fears into the situation.
At the end of the show I share the story of a heart failure patient with special needs, and how we adjusted our plan of care to make sure this patient got the care he needed.
As always, don’t forget to call, text or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
In this episode I explore the realization that, if we are honest, we all have feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.
Imposter syndrome is something that we all will face at times in our lives. We will especially face imposter syndrome when we are adventurous and are willing to take on new challenges.
In this episode I review many of the different ways we can experience imposter syndrome and why we might experience it.
I mention a recent article where I explain why hospice nurses are not trying to kill their patients. You can access that article HERE.
I also review a strategy on how to avoid imposter syndrome. Do you want a hint? You can’t avoid imposter syndrome if you are going to engage life!
In this episode I welcome veteran hospice nurse, Michelle Ery.
During the show, Michelle shares with us how she obsessed over her patients to the point that she started using substances to manage the anxiety and obsession.
Michelle shares with us what happened to her on Memorial Day of 2020, and how this event was the catalyst that ended up changing her life forever.
Michelle covers her experience in a thirty-day addiction treatment center. She shares with us how this experience effected her nursing license. She also details how her place of employment handled everything that happened.
At the end of the episode, Michelle encourages any listeners who feel like they are struggling with addiction to contact her via her personal facebook page.
I cover several issues that I have observed causing major burnout for hospice nurses.
Are you waiting for hospice to get easier?
Are you unwilling to work an 8 hour day?
Do you struggle with autonomy?
Are you unwilling to turn off your work phone after hours?
Are you unwilling to learn to chart at the bedside?
Do you have to always be right?
Do you have to fix every problem?
Is it you or your agency causing you to consider leaving hospice?
During this episode I don’t pull any punches. The issues above are what I have seen be the leading cause of burnout for hospice nurses. If we are unable to master the list above, this work may not be what we should be doing.
I don’t want anyone listening to this episode to quit being a hospice nurse. Still, this work is not for everyone. It’s okay to realize that hospice is not for you.
At the end of this episode I spend some time discussing The Hospice Nursing Community. This community has a private group dedicated to hospice leadership.
In the last week I have taken a hospice administrator position here in the Kansas City area. I will be sharing some of my experiences in the private group for hospice leadership.
I also share that I have made a change to the pricing structure. The monthly subscription is now $19.99 and there is also an option to pay $199.00 for a lifetime membership that does not expire.
As always, don’t forget to call, text or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
I’m back behind the microphone as I return from a month-long break from the show.
In this episode I take on the challenge of discussing hospice leadership.
I review some of my own challenges in my leadership experience. I also spend some time discussing the last 7 months I have spent in the field, and how much stress and emotion is involved.
I also mention that I would share some of my favorite leadership books here in the show notes.
I discuss some of the behaviors by hospice leadership that I think can be very toxic. I also share my thoughts on how leadership should handle staff members who are struggling.
Ultimately, I believe that the success of any hospice agency should be attributed to the field staff. Failures by the agency should first be examined by leadership to make sure the problem isn’t process related.
In episode Twenty-Eight Chanel King returns to continue our discussion from episode Twenty-Seven.
In this episode we discuss Psychological first aide. Chanel reviews some of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and integrates them so well into our understanding of the challenges we face when caring for the dying.
We spend the majority of this episode discussing boundaries and the good and bad that come from crossing those boundaries.
Chanel drops a real truth bomb on us when she says, “We are more alike than different.” In a world where media tries to convince us that we are actually more different, Chanel’s perspective is a breath of fresh air.
Towards the end, Chanel shares with us the concept of a Recovery Strategy Care Plan which can be referenced as the anacronym, RSCP or “Recipe.”
You can download the RSCP by clicking HERE. Scroll down till you find the orange flower and click it. Right below the flower you can actually schedule a free 30 minute session with Instructor king to help you create your care plan. I recommend you take advantage of this right away. I don’t think Instructor King will have this kind of availability in the future. She’s a big deal!
I also remind everyone to be sure and get a google voice number if you have to use your personal cell phone. You can learn more by watching this YouTube video HERE.
I also mention a new blog series I’m writing called, “What to expect from your hospice nurse.” You can access the series landing page HERE.
In this episode I also mention that I will be taking the next month of. I need to engage in some self care as well. I can’t preach boundaries if I don’t exercise some for myself!
As always, don’t forget to call, text or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
In this episode I introduce Chanel King to The Hospice Nursing Podcast!
Chanel King (Instructor King) is a Peer Support Specialist for medical professionals.
In her introduction, Chanel shares with us some of her own traumatic experiences and how the last couple years have transformed her life and led her on a journey to providing emotional support to thousands of medical professionals.
In this episode Instructor King answers a voice mail left by Erin who asked how we can handle grief for our dying patients. Chanel also reviews what compassion fatigue might look like.
During the episode, Chanel reminds us all of the “Faith and Work” audio series I shared during one of my earlier episodes. You can find that series by clicking HERE.
Chanel also shares with us a concept called a Safety Plan. We can use this plan to help us recognize when we are struggling emotionally and need to re-center ourselves. Chanel and I are working on a plan for me right now. It has been an amazing experience! I can’t wait for it to be completed!
This safety plan can be downloaded from the landing page on her website located at http://ThisIsBase.mn.co. Scroll down and click the big sunflower to access the safety plan.
While you are there, please consider singing up for your free membership. Instructor King provides a lot of free content including live streaming sessions covering many topics. You’ll be glad you did!
Stay tuned for Episode Twenty-Eight as Instructor King will be joining us again to continue this conversation!
As always, don’t forget to call, text or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
At the end of the episode I take a few minutes to address leadership. It is my belief that leadership holds the greatest power over the culture of the office.
A good leader will take personal accountability for how staff treats each other. I believe that organizational staff will emulate their leaders both consciously and subconsciously.
