A hospice nurse works as part of an interdisciplinary team that provides palliative, or comfort care, to patients during the last phase of their life. The hospice nurse coordinates the care team and provides direct care and support for patients and their families.
Assessment & Treatment
When a patient and their family makes the decision to receive hospice care, a hospice nurse will assess the patient’s medical condition, equipment needs and psycho-social factors like the home environment and family dynamics. The hospice nurse will begin family and caregiver will begin on-going education about the natural disease process. A hospice nurse can visit a patient as frequently or infrequently as is medically appropriate, with visits increasing as the patient declines.
After a patient is admitted, the hospice nurse will begin care, following the hospice physician’s plan of care. A large part of a hospice nurse’s duties is to administer medications that make the patient comfortable. They also treat wounds, prevent skin breakdown and monitor the patient’s natural disease process-all with the goal of maintaining the patient’s dignity and comfort level.
Coordination of Care
The hospice nurse ensures that the patient’s spiritual and psychosocial needs are met by coordinating the services of a Chaplain or Medical Social Worker. Hospice Aides are also used to provide personal care and assistance with activities of daily living. The hospice nurse may also add massage therapy or physical therapy if they provide comfort and pain relief to the patient.
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