In this episode I start a series explaining my strategies for orientating new nurses.
I read an email from listener Holly and how I got my inspiration for this series from her. I also read an email from Kelly that I received the day before recording this episode and how it ties in quite nicely.
Here are a few of my main points.
While in orientation the new nurse should aways ride with everyone. No following in his/her own car.
Set the standard from day one that hospice is an 8-5 job.
Be strategic about the very first visit the new nurse will be a part of and explain why you chose this for the first visit.
The most important tools you have are Influence and Trust.
People never forget how you make them feel.
Don’t forget to call, text or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
In this episode I have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Tania. She has over a decade of weekend on-call experience. This interview is filled to the brim with practical advice for success with your on-call visits.
Tania shares with us how she ended up becoming a hospice on-call nurse and how it works for her family.
We address the 7 following subjects:
Establish why you are making the visit with the family
Identify the type of visit (Only 3 real categories)
Car Stock Ideas
Documentation
How to separate family from work on the weekends
How to handle challenging environments
Tania’s favorite resource for families
My two favorite quotes from the interview.
”Sometimes, you end up where you need to be,” and ”No visit is ever wasted.”
My favorite part of this interview was the very end. Tania shares with us how she uses Barbara Karnes’ Blue Book for her families when she visits. This is the most powerful and intentional use of this book I have ever seen. I plan to implement this strategy starting this very week!
As always don’t be afraid to reach out to me personally should you have any questions or show requests.
In this episode I share why it has been exactly one month since I published my last episode. I also explain why it might be a few more weeks before my next episode.
Most of this episode was shared without extensive notes and just an outline. The outline was 3 simple points.
Turn off your phone
Don’t have favorites
it’s not about you (or me)
I recommend 2 books with one of the books also available as an audio message by Andy Stanley.
During this episode I read a portion of an email I received from a listener when I asked her if she had any questions I could build a show around. In that email she asks me what my sacred activity is.
After much thought, I have decided to share my sacred activity during this episode.
The truth is that I am completely incapable of doing this complex and emotional work under my own power. This work can be overwhelming to the mind and soul at times. In this episode I explain how my faith and spiritual practices help me provide the kind of medical care and emotional support my patients and their caregivers deserve.
I also promise to upload a sermon series that really helped me balance my faith with my work habits. That series can be accessed HERE. I have also added it as a menu item on my website.
I explain in detail the following 6 concepts I try to employ every day to the the best I can be.
Repetition is a mode of learning.
I try to remain in constant contact with my own brokenness.
I try to always see what someone can become instead of what they currently are.
I remind myself daily that all persons have eternal value and existence.
I remember that I can leave all my fears and concerns at my place of worship.
I can’t always control outcomes, and I will never survive this work if I try.
I also share the two following quotes by C.S. Lewis
Highlighted Text Below
As always don’t be afraid to reach out to me personally should you have any questions.
In this episode we interview Kris, who is the creator and administrator of the Hospice Nursing Support Group on Facebook.
Kris shares some very interesting statistics regarding this group. We also review a few of the group rules to help provide some context for present and future members. Kris shares her experience with another Facebook group and how she helped that group be more successful.
Towards the end of the show Kris shares some very personal experiences over the last 2 years while working on a COVID unit. She shares one of her strategies that has helped her cope and adjust from the experience.
Kris also shares with us her love of horses.
As promised she also sent a picture of when she was young, and her love of horses was just beginning.
As we discussed, here are some Facebook groups that should be helpful for laypersons and medical professionals who do not currently work in hospice.
End of Life Care and Bereavement: “Barbara Karnes, award-winning end of life educator and award-winningnurse, wrote “The Hospice Blue Book,” GONE FROM MY SIGHT, among others. Barbara has now created a personal forum where she answers your questions and offers education from her extraordinary knowledge on all areas of end of life care and bereavement.”
Hospice & End of Life Care Group: “This group has been created with the intent to educate, support, ask questions and share our challenges in relevance with death, dying, hospice, end of life care, grief, loss and or bereavement.”
As always don’t be afraid to reach out to me personally should you have any questions.
For todays episode we discuss several ideas that will help us be more likely to happen to our days and weeks instead of our days and weeks happening to us.
We discuss the importance of having a new schedule every week. I am offering a free copy of the spreadsheet I have created to manage my caseload. You can visit the download page HERE. Please email me at james@confessionsofahospicenurse.net if you have any problems getting the file to work.
Here is a quick overview of the concepts I discussed during this episode.
New schedule every week.
Start Early
Plan the day
Everything at the bedside
Embrace the tension
Start with the sickest patient – hardest work first
Don’t waste waiting
For the readers out there, be sure to check out the Hospice Burnout series for my original articles.
Don’t forget to call or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
For today’s show I discuss my own challenges with my hero complex, and how we can all get away from trying to be the hero in someone else’s story.
Click HERE to read the Avoiding Hospice Burnout series.
It is completely natural to become a central figure in the life of our dying patients and their family members. We have a lot of knowledge to share, and we have a lot of solutions to common problems.
It is our job to empower our caregivers and help them become the hero of the story.
Here are the 3 main tips I provide in this episode to help set up our caregivers as the hero.
Focus on intentions, not results
Please recognize your caregiver’s intentions
Everyone has different levels of competency
Reinforce good behavior
Downplay mistakes
Never be critical of your caregiver
Many caregivers are emotionally fragile
It’s our job to coach them up
Turn off your work phone after hours
Give out your number, but make a fuss about it
Help the caregiver and family become comfortable with the entire team
You cannot be on call for your patients around the clock
Don’t forget to call or email to leave feedback! I would love to hear from you!
In episode four of The Hospice Nursing Podcast we deviate from the burnout series and highlight some insights I learned at a recent leadership conference I attended.
A couple Saturday’s ago I attended a leadership conference hosted by the ETHOS Center of Excellence. Our speakers were Dr. Frank Armato and Dr. Barry Young. The conference was from 9am-3pm with 6 powerful sessions.
This workshop was called, “Becoming a Better Leader,” and in this episode I give a quick overview of each session and highlight some of the lessons I learned.
For episode 3 of The Hospice Nursing Podcast my first hospice mentor, Mike Barrett, returns to discuss what I believe is the biggest contributor to hospice nursing burnout.
Of all the complaints I hear from nurses regarding burnout and being overworked, charting is the main complaint.
In this episode, Mike and I try our best to debunk the reasons charting cannot be completed at the bedside. We also take some time to explain how to be successful with charting at the bedside.
For some context, please visit my second article in the “Avoiding Hospice Burnout” blog series called “Charting At The Bedside.”
As promised, here is the list of reasons we SHOULD NOT chart at the bedside.
***Debunking the lies***
I can’t get to know my patient.
Hospice is 80% psychosocial and only 10% medical.
Nothing is more important than connecting with our patients.
You can do both!
It’s rude to open your computer at the bedside.
This is medicine now.
There isn’t enough time to chart at the bedside.
You will have to make time somewhere.
Why cheat yourself or your family for a job?
No job in America is worth losing your family?
This EMR is too hard (only web based in the country) 1. This can be done with MOST EMRs.
I mention the book “Choosing To Cheat” by Andy Stanley. Please click HERE to purchase this book.
Here are some suggestions to help you begin the bedside charting journey.
***Five Steps to successful charting at the bedside.***
Train the patient
Spend the first 15-20 minutes interacting and assessing
Don’t crack the computer the minute you sit down.
I understand the temptation. Especially if you have never done bedside charting.
Charge your stuff at night
Don’t type in every space
Embrace the tension
For those of your who don’t chart at the bedside, what are the concerns you have that are keeping you from starting? Please share in your comments below our visit the About James page and find ways to connect with the show and share your opinion.
In this episode I introduce my very first hospice mentor, Mike Barrett. Mike explains what he saw in me and how I responded to his training when I first entered hospice in 2015.
I then share my own personal story of total financial collapse in 2007 & 2008 that resulted in my own deep depression, and how I managed to recover.
During the episode I explain the personal changes I made from 2008-2010 before returning to college in 2011 and pursing my nursing degree.
Mike and I discuss the power of intentionality in our lives, and how it is essential for success.
Don’t forget to reach out to the show with your questions and feedback!
