When patients are terminally ill, they often want to leave the hospital and spend their final days at home. It can be overwhelming for family members to care for them, so hospice nurses come. Hospice nurses include the professionals who care for patients at the end of their lives.

They might be Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurses (CHPNs) or Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurses. Their role is to make sure that patients are comfortable for the duration of their lives, rather than working to prolong their lives.

Tasks of Hospice Nurses

There are many different tasks in hospice nursing. They can work in hospitals, private care facilities, or the homes of patients. They often work for a third party rather than a hospital, and doctors connect them to their patients.

They can serve different functions, from helping patients with admission processes to case managers who coordinate care. They might be visiting nurses who do routine care duties for patients, or they could be triage nurses who help with emergencies. Dieticians help set the diet, and hospital liaisons coordinate hospital visits.

How Do They Care for Patients?

Hospice nurses help patients in different ways. They monitor patients and document their vital signs. This is important for keeping records and knowing where the patient’s health stands. They might do this once a day or as many as three times a day. They also understand what the vitals mean.

They also administer medications. Most hospice patients take medicine, and they can give shots, pills, or IV meds. They know when their patients need it, how much they need, and how to administer it. They can also help manage pain. This is one of their most important duties because it is important to give patients pain medicine if they aren’t comfortable. They need to talk to their patients to assess when they are in pain, document the symptoms, and administer the correct medication.

Hospice nurses also help in an emergency. They need to know whether the patient has a DNR, and they need to know when to intervene and when not to. They need to focus on the patient no matter what the family does.

 

The Levels of Hospice Care

When people are looking at the end-of-life journey, hospice care is available to help them live out their days comfortably and at home. It is important to understand hospice care so that you can make better decisions for yourself or your loved ones.

Hospice care is available to patients who are dealing with terminal illnesses or health conditions. It is designed to help with the patient’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.

Hospice Care at Home

One level of hospice care is hospice care at home. This type of hospice care is designed to increase a patient’s comfort and quality of life.

In this type of situation, patients can expect pain management, symptom management, help with daily tasks, nutrition advice, therapies, and emotional or spiritual counseling. Patients receive this type of hospice where they live, which can be at home or at a facility. It is based on their needs.

Continuous Hospice Care

Another level of hospice care is continuous hospice care, which happens after an emergency or when symptoms require more consistent management. Often this is 24-hour care, with support for the patient that allows family to spend time with their loved ones rather than caring for them. It is common after a medical crisis.

Inpatient Hospice Care

Inpatient hospice care is designed for patients whose symptoms can’t be managed at home. They may have more severe pain, and if it is stabilized, the patient can return home. Some patients choose to stay at a facility for their final days with the care they need.

Respite Care

Respite care is another form of hospice care, and it is usually a short-term stay to give caregivers time to attend to their lives. The patient will receive 24-hour management while their caregiver may attend to children or work.

When people are on their end-of-life journeys, they have options. Doctors can help you understand what happens in each level of hospice care so that you choose the most appropriate one. The key is to make sure that symptoms are managed and people get what they need during their end-of-life journeys.