Hospice Fatigue Syndrome
The following symptoms may indicate a diagnosis of Hospice Fatigue Syndrome
1. Cramping in hand from writing numerous ID notes.
2. Forgetfulness or confusion of patient names/addresses due to numerous short term patients.
3. Fatigued gluteal muscles from long hours riding between patients.
4. Interrupted sleep pattern from on call visits or dream of patients or working.
5. Cauliflower ear from long hours talking on the phone (or sore neck).
6. Soreness to tip of index finger from calling in time to VRU.
7. Stains on shirt front from driving and eating at the same time.
8. Frequent episodes of distended bladder.
9. Hypothermia from team meetings in cold conference room or sleepiness from team meetings in warm conference room.
10. Ulcer symptoms or GI distress such as reflux.
11. Hypertension.
12. Frequent headaches.
13. Tension in neck and shoulders.
14. Answer phone at home � "Hospice, May I help you?"
15. When you look at people around you and see if they are hospice appropriate.
16. When you evaluate people's hands/arms for good candidates for IV therapy.
17. When all you hear all day long deals with bowels, bladder and pain.
18. When you are the only one at the dinner table not bothered by a conversation re: disimpaction.
19. When the alarm goes off and you reach for your beeper.
20. A beeper goes off in a meeting and every one looks to see if it's their beeper.
21. When you see people in town and recognize them, but don't remember from where.
22. You start remembering patients' numbers and phone numbers without looking them up.
23. You know a patient's blood pressure before you take it.
24. When you talk to yourself when you drive and the driver in the car next to you give you a funny look.
25. When you know which bathrooms in town are clean and which ones are dirty.
Submitted by Lori Smith, RN and Members of Team 3, Fort Worth, TX October 1999
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