What does it mean when a preacher says, “In closing?”
Absolutely nothing!
What does it mean when a blogger says, “In closing?”
About the same!
In Closing
What I originally thought would be 12-15 articles appears to be 10 articles. Many of my ideas have been combined in more than one article. It has played out well, and it has generated some quality conversations both public and private. I appreciate everyone who has take then time to follow this series to its end. I especially appreciate all the feedback I have received. Some of it has been negative, and some of it has been positive. I welcome both responses when given politely, which is what I feel has happened in most cases. I have learned a lot just writing this series. I hope you have as well.
Today, I want to finish this series with a couple straggling thoughts. Just some simple observations that I feel will bookend this series, but don’t really warrant additional articles.
1. Help each other
I had not even considered this as a subject until yesterday. I had just spent the previous 10 days on a much needed vacation. I have spent most of the last year carrying a caseload and training new nurses. We intentionally go overboard when training new staff. Most new nurses with us get 2-4 weeks of in-the-field training with me.
Well, I had completely forgotten one of my nurses had vacation starting this Wednesday through next Wednesday. She called to let me know that she had already reach out to her follow case managers for help. All of her visits were already covered. My role calls for me to pick up the slack, and she only needs me to make 2 visits while she’s out. All of her teammates had already picked up the needed visits.
Not all nurses have this kind of support. I have worked with more than one nurse who just wanted to get done with their day and head home. There was no interest in checking with their coworkers to see if they need help. This is the most impressive group of nurses I have ever worked with. A couple of them are very new to hospice, and yet they are still reaching out to me on slow days to see who they can help.
They have developed a culture that says, “Why should I go home at 2pm when I have a teammate who may not get done till late tonight. They reach out to each other to see what help they can provide. What a healthy culture to be a part of!
If you are struggling to get help, I would recommend you find another nurse in your organization who is willing to team up with you and be your backup. Maybe the two of you can be the change in your company you want to see. Others will follow your lead. I promise. I have watched it happen here in my own company.
2. The 90/10 rule
This is something I really should have shared at the beginning of this series. I have two classes I teach at my current place of employment. At some point in each one I share this rule.
I believe that the content of this series can be executed successfully at least 90 percent of the time. There will always be the unplanned and unexpected 10 percent. Those who see the world of hospice as 100 percent one way or the other are doomed to struggle. This includes your humble servant, James. I have to remember that my material doesn’t work 100 percent of the time for 100 percent of nurses.
It’s also not the 10/90 rule that says all this material can only be done 10 percent of the time. If you want to argue 80/20 with me, I can entertain that. What is most important is our ability to examine our own ideas objectively. If you want to fiercely object to something in these articles, then I have achieved my goal. I have got you to think it all over. That’s progress! That’s good for you and me!
So, before just rejecting any of this series, ask yourself if what I suggest can be done at least 80-90 percent of the time. Maybe it will help you! Why not try it?
Most of what I teach is based on my own experience. By its very nature this means that I am biased. All of these articles can really be boiled down to just my opinion. It’s not like there is some kind of comprehensive hospice nurse textbook that a reader can just pull out to verify my claims.
What I do know is what I have done to survive six-and-a-half years of hospice working for (an embarrassing) 5 companies. I have just now found my forever hospice home. I’ve never been so happy to do this work as I am right here and right now.
Have you found your forever hospice home?
Are you with a company that you love, but it just seems impossible to get everything done and still have a personal life? Are you willing to get out a calendar right now, look forward 6 months and place an “X” on that date. Are you willing to say to yourself, “For the next six months, starting tomorrow, I’m going to put my full effort into this entire series. I’m not going to pressure myself to do it all at 100 percent. I’m going to shoot for 90 percent and see what happens.”
I think you will find this series has the potential to completely change your level of success in the specialty of hospice nursing. You wouldn’t even be reading this series if you didn’t hold out some amount of hope that you can be successful at hospice without constant fatigue and stress.
Don’t let your current habits or situation be the end of your hospice career. Try something completely different, and maybe this can be a new beginning for you. You can avoid hospice burnout, and this series can help you get there.
Visit The Hospice Nursing Community for more assistance in avoiding hospice burnout.
This is an excellent series, very well written and thought out. I’m not a nurse, but you and I do share woodworking as an interest. I always remember what one of my teachers said when he was teaching us how to apply a certain finish to wood. He said, “Whenever woodworkers get together, one of the things they talk about is how to finish wood, and all of those methods start with the same line. ‘Well, this works for me.’”
What you have set forth here is, as you point out, your own opinions, but in the end that’s all we have to deal with many times—our own opinions. Unless, of course, we are willing to admit that others might have insights that could help us. If only we would listen.
My youngest brother passed in 1999 and had a hospice nurse the last months of his life. I cannot tell how what that person meant to our family. All these years later I am still grateful to both her and the entire idea of hospice. People, as you pointed out, become hospice nurses because they have a calling for this particular field. Some will leave because, on balance, they have decided it’s just not for them, but losing them to burnout is a real tragedy. Perhaps some of those who are burnt out will find an item or two in this series that will be of use to them.
As always your outside perspective provides so much value!
Each one of these posts gets several hundred reads from a facebook support page for hospice nurses. Many of them find this information valuable and helpful.
I hope they see and read some of your comments.