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How Hospice Works: The On-Call Nurse
A registered nurse is available to patients of Hospice for medical necessities 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
After hours and on weekends the numbers are answered by a telephone answering service. To reach the nurse during these times, leave your name and telephone number. The On-Call Nurse will be paged and will return your call within fifteen minutes.
When to Call
The On-Call Nurse is available to assist when problems arise that you feel uncomfortable managing without the advice and support of a Hospice Nurse. The Hospice Nurse will respond to your questions or make suggestions over the phone, notify a physician as needed and will visit when necessary.
If medication is needed at night and/or on the weekend, the On-Call Nurse will make special arrangements to provide the needed medications. However, please check the supply of medications prior to the weekend to determine if refills will be needed.
The On-Call Nurse should be notified of any situation or change in condition that cannot wait until the next morning or next weekday. THE ON-CALL NURSE SHOULD ALWAYS BE CALLED WHEN DEATH APPEARS IMMINENT.
When NOT to Call
In order to keep the On-Call Nurse available for medical necessities, we ask that routine concerns and questions and supply requests should be directed to your regular nurse during office hours or scheduled visits, rather than the On-Call Nurse.
Who Else You Can Call
You are welcome to call the Hospice office at any time to ask questions. There is always a registered nurse in the office and messages can be left with your Primary Care Hospice Nurse at any time. If concerns arise during the day, we ask that you do not wait until the office closes to call us. During the day is the easiest time to manage situations because there is a greater accessibility to Hospice staff and services that may be needed.
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