Hospice – Patient and Family Autonomy
Hospice care is often misunderstood. A common myth suggests that once a patient with a terminal illness enters hospice, they lose control over their care. This article aims to dispel this misconception and highlight the central role of patient and family autonomy in hospice settings. It's important to note that this discussion primarily applies to patients receiving care at home or in non-facility settings, as facility-based patients may have less control over their care decisions.
Read MoreHospice – Patient and Family AutonomyLearning Psychosocial Skills as a Hospice Nurse
One of the hardest lessons to learn as a nurse, in my experience and opinion, is the psychosocial skills necessary to help patients and their families work towards their healthcare goals. These skills are applicable to every field. While I, myself, am still growing as a registered nurse (heading towards my 5th year at the time of writing this article), I would like to share with you some of the lessons learned. These lessons are based on real-life cases where I will present the scenario, what I did that worked, and what I internally thought of opposite scenarios.
Read MoreLearning Psychosocial Skills as a Hospice Nurse