Reflections on Being a Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse

As we celebrate Nurses Month throughout the month of May, we are recognizing nurses for their commitment to the profession and for providing compassionate care and support to the patients they serve. We thank our nurses for their dedication to our mission to celebrate the lives of those we have the privilege of serving by providing superior care and superior services to each patient and family. 

We invite you to read about some of our nurses at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. 

• Sherry became a nurse to make a difference. She loved science classes and learning about the human body. Her grandfather faced lung disease, and she witnessed him being cared for in the hospital from the time she was four until her early 20s. To Sherry, kindness means being present and listening to patients, family and peers. “Kindness is opening the blinds to let the sun in their room to warm them,” she said. “It is singing a favorite song. Kindness is lifting up the patient’s circle of support and praising them for the wonderful care they provide their loved one.”  

• Amy visited her dad working in the lab at Grandview Hospital growing up and he encouraged her to go into the nursing field. To Amy, kindness is going above and beyond what is expected and treating others like you want to be treated. Kindness can even be expressed through a smile or a hug. One of her favorite memories is providing care to a dementia patient who could hardly communicate or smile, but her face would light up when Amy played a hymn or Christmas carol. “Many times, we would sit in her room and sing together,” she said. “It brought her peace and comfort.” 

• Pam became a nurse after observing her mother work as a nurse’s aide and provide loving care for her patients, and wanting to do the same. To Pam, kindness means treating patients and families with the utmost respect and being there for emotional support without any hesitation. One of Pam’s favorite memories as a nurse is a night shift on a crisis care assignment where she was at the patient’s home for the second night. The daughter wished that she could get one more response from her mom before she passed. When the patient was taking her final breaths, the patient suddenly opened her eyes and looked at her daughter before taking her final breath. The daughter was thrilled that she was able to look at her mom and tell her that she loved her one last time. 

• Rachel says being a nurse is in her DNA. She became an STNA at 18 and went to nursing school at 32. To Rachel, kindness means having empathy, a caring heart, and helping others in need. “Sometimes, it’s making someone smile or laugh,” she said. 

• Milli found nursing in her mid-30s after attending a spiritual retreat and realizing that she wanted to do something different. One of her favorite memories is caring for a World War II Army nurse who shared a scrapbook and told stories while Milli sat at her bedside. “When treating a patient, I want to make sure they see in my care that I truly have compassion for them,” she said. 
  
• Jan turned to nursing after a series of jobs that left her unfulfilled and she felt called to seek the service of nursing. To Jan, kindness is thinking about and acting upon the anticipated needs of others in a sincere, compassionate way that will be impactful.  

To learn more about Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, please visit: www.HospiceofDayton.org