For some jobs, it's the same thing day after day, even with nursing. When I worked in a facility it was like that, Every once in a while, there would be some excitement with an emergency, but hopefully not too often. Working in a facility I did learn you don't say quiet (the Q word). Saying the Q word was always a sure way to get the excitement. It's a superstition in the medical field.

I have always liked to learn new things, but working as a hospice nurse sometimes what I learned was not something I was glad to learn. Things like humans especially family can be cruel and manipulative. I know human beings can be either cruel or nice, but I would think the family would be at least somewhere in between. I learned that when it comes to family they are all over the spectrum. It was hard at times to be professional and not say something to someone. I mean when people are dying, family comes out of the woodwork like cockroaches.

One time I had to call the after-hours number to get a social worker out to the house because the family was arguing over who gets what, and they were doing it right next to the patient's bed. Well, needless to say, the family of course complained about me because I made that call. The good thing in the thirteen years of working as a hospice nurse I had only three complaints against me, and they were because of doing for the patient and not the family. Most of the families and patients asked for me to come back.

There were times when I would see a very loving family all at the bedside or somewhere near, and it filled my heart to see the love and compassion. It also helped me still believe there are good and caring people in the world. I believe I have seen human nature at its best and its worst. Of course, I prefer to see the best of human nature, but you can't pick and choose with family.

Talking about families and how they are when someone is dying. I remember a case that made me feel bad for a lady whose significant other was dying. The patient, I will call Ben was dying and his significant other I will call Mary had been with Ben for 20 years. They weren't married, and Florida doesn't have common law. They didn't get married for financial reasons.

Mary and Ben were both widowed when they met and if they got married Mary would have lost money in her social security. They had bought a house together and both were on the mortgage together they made that house a home for them. The sad part of this story is Ben's son who didn't have time for his father when he was well, had more time when his father became sick and more interested in what his father had, including the house. I was taking care of Ben when he passed, and Mary was so upset, because not only did she lose her love, but she was going to lose her house also.

Mary was losing her house because Ben's son told her to buy him out or sell the house and they split the money. I did all I could to console her when Ben passed but to no avail. I felt so bad for Mary, but there was nothing I could do. Mary's life changed in a matter of seconds, so you never know. After this experience I went home and discussed with my husband about getting all the necessary things in order, so when the time comes mine and his wishes will be done. My job as a hospice nurse also taught me to live one day at a time. Something I would always tell families they should do because we don't know what is going to happen.