I have worked for a non-profit hospice since I graduated from nursing school. It will be five years next month and I've had a surge of questions like "Are you going to do that forever?" Mind you, this has came from my family, friends, and even our patient's family members. I tell them all the same thing, I was lead here and I will stay as long as they need me. This is what makes me happy.
End of life care isn't something we like to think about let alone discuss. First, think about how delicate the newborn babies are treated coming into the world. Now, think about that elderly individual knowing they are in their last days and how that must feel. I want to make those last days as comfortable as possible. I want them to smile, I want them to share stories that make them laugh. I want them to know that they have me.
There are several patients I will never forget. I remember one in particular, a female, who wasn't used to being tended to. She was a strong willed southern women who had raised 3 children on her own in times much different from ours. She was very humble and interested in me and my story. She was so full of life to be as fragile and as ill as she was. She told me so many stories about herself, very personal things that I will never forget.
One day, she asked me what my dreams were. I didn't have to think, I responded immediately and told her I was back in school getting another degree in nursing. She told me "Don't ever limit yourself. keep going and keep encouraging others". She smiled saying this. She had the most beautiful spirit I have ever felt. She reminded me how important every moment of every day was.
Hospice is a growing field but a lot of people don't know exactly what we do. We treat the symptoms of a terminal patient in order to make them pain free and comfortable. Hospice does not hasten life. You would be surprised at the amount of people who believe that we simply speed up the dying process. We focus on palliative care. I can't even count the number of times that a family member of a patient has called us nurse's angels.
Everyday we have is truly a blessing. We live in a country were education is survival. I'm so grateful God lead me to be a nurse. If you are struggling out there with a career path, I'd like to tell you to give nursing a try. You will either love or hate it, but you won't know until you try. Hospice in particular is not for everyone but for those that have the heart for caring for a terminal patient it truly makes a difference in their lives and yours. I have became stronger in my faith and gained so much respect for elderly who have lived such unique live and are at peace with where they are going next.
"The lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." -Numbers 6:26
