83. What If Tomorrow Felt Different? A Hospice Nurse Reset

What If Tomorrow Felt Different? A Hospice Nurse Reset

What if tomorrow wasn't easier...

…but you felt different walking into it?

In this episode, I invite you to imagine what a real Hospice Nurse Reset might look like.

Not a new job.
 Not fewer patients.
 Not a perfect schedule.

Just an ordinary Tuesday where you feel more grounded, more present, and more connected to yourself while continuing to do the work you love.

We'll talk about simple, intentional practices that can help you reduce stress, reconnect with your purpose, and begin caring for yourself before you have nothing left to give.

Because a reset doesn't happen all at once.

It happens one small decision at a time.

In this episode, we'll explore:

•  What a Hospice Nurse Reset really is 
•  Why changing yourself is often more powerful than waiting for your circumstances to change 
•  Simple ways to create moments of calm between visits 
•  End-of-day rituals that help separate work from home 
•  How small choices can help you love hospice again without sacrificing your own well-being 

💕 Remember...

You don't have to choose between loving hospice and protecting your own well-being.

 I truly believe it's possible to do both. 

💕 Enjoying The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN? Follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with another hospice nurse who could use a little encouragement. 

 💕 Download your FREE Hospice Nurse's Guide to Less Stress: www.JennyLytle.com/guide

Jenny Lytle, BSN, RN is the founder of The Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project™ and host of The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN. After more than 30 years as a nurse—including over two decades in hospice—she helps hospice nurses reduce stress, prevent burnout, and love hospice again—without sacrificing their own well-being. 💕 

🌿 Learn more about The Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project™
https://jennylytle.com

Transcript

Welcome And The Reset Question

Speaker 0:20

Hello and welcome back to The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN. Last week I ended by asking you a question. If you were to hit reset, what would actually be different? Not in some perfect world. And not after winning the lottery or fixing the healthcare system, but just on an ordinary Tuesday. And I've been thinking about that question all week, and I'd love to paint you a picture.

Picture An Ordinary Tuesday Reset

Speaker 0:42

Imagine a hospice nurse who hasn't necessarily changed jobs. She still has admissions, she still has difficult conversations, her schedule still changes, patients still decline. In other words, she's still a hospice nurse, but something's different. She wakes up after getting a decent night's sleep, and instead of immediately feeling dread, she feels purpose. She remembers that today she has the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. And before she leaves the house, she grabs the water bottle and the snacks that she packed the night before because she knows that caring for herself isn't selfish. It's preparation for the hard work she does. And as the day unfolds, hospice does what hospice always does. Plans change and visits take longer than expected. The unexpected happens. But somewhere between those visits, she gives herself permission to pause. And maybe she parks by a little lake or

A Five-Minute Pause Between Visits

Speaker 1:34

she sits beneath a tree, or she simply rolls down the windows and takes a few slow, intentional, deep breaths before driving to her next patient. Five minutes, that's all. Nothing about her schedule has changed, but she has. And she walks into that next patient's home more present, more patient, and more grounded. At the end of the day, she finishes her charting as best she can, knowing that perfection isn't the goal. And then she has a simple ritual that tells her mind and body work is over. Maybe she changes clothes. Um, maybe she takes a short walk. Maybe it's while she's driving, she spends a few quiet minutes um in prayer before walking through the front

A Ritual That Ends The Workday

Speaker 2:22

door. Whatever it is, she's intentionally creating space between work and home. Because when she walks through that door, she wants her family to get the best of her. Not just whatever happens to be left. You may have noticed something. I never once said that she had fewer patients. I never said that she had a different manager. I never said that hospice suddenly became easy, because we know that's not going to happen. But that's not what changed first. She changed. Or maybe a better way

What Changes First Is You

Speaker 3:06

to say this is she found her way back to herself. She remembered why she chose hospice. She remembered what she loves outside of hospice. She stopped waiting for life to slow down before she started caring for herself. Instead, she began preparing for the day before the day started making all of her decisions. That's what I mean by a hospice nurse reset. It's not about escaping hospice, it's about reconnecting with yourself while you're still living your life, while you're still doing your work. Because here's what I've learned from talking with hospice nurses all over the country. The ones who continue to find meaning in this work aren't necessarily the ones with the easiest schedules. They're the ones who intentionally protect the things that help them stay connected to themselves. So this week, I'd love for you to ask yourself one simple question. If you can make just one small change that would help tomorrow feel

One Small Choice That Shifts Tomorrow

Speaker 4:27

a little more like the Tuesday we just imagined, what would that be? Maybe it's packing your lunch. Maybe it's taking three slow breaths before each visit. Maybe it's ending your work day with a simple ritual before stepping into your home. Whatever it is, don't underestimate the power of one intentional choice. Because a reset doesn't happen all at once, it happens one small decision at a time. And next week, I want to talk about something that I think sits underneath all of this. Because before you can truly reset your life, you have to remember what you're resetting back to. And somewhere along the way, many of us have become disconnected

Reconnecting With Purpose Next Week

Speaker 5:25

from the very reasons that we chose hospice in the first place. And some of us feel like hospice kind of chose us, but we've stayed for a reason. So next week, we're going to explore how to reconnect with your purpose, your values, and the parts of yourself that may have gotten buried beneath years of caring for everyone else. Until then, remember self care isn't selfish. It's essential if we want to continue caring for others and living our best lives. Have a wonderful week.