Hospice nursing calls for a skillful balance of empathy and compassion. Hospice nurses have knowledge and expertise in caring for people at the end of life and in the moment of death—a singular event that the layperson has no previous experience with. Nurses like Susann serve as invaluable guides.
Susann has been a part of the Hospice nursing team for 26 years. If you know or work with Susann, you feel her presence, empathy, and compassion for everyone she encounters. Susann treats everyone with respect and kindness. She is the first person to volunteer when her co-workers/patients need her. She never complains or is short with the office staff, although we call and change her assignments all day long. Her smile is infectious and her attitude and love for Hospice are apparent.
Today I called her to see how her day was going and she answered the phone, "Hospice Nurse, Susann". I laughed and said, "I love that you answer your phone that way". What she said next, will have a lasting impression on me; "Well, I am proud of that", she replied.
It is nurses like Susann that exemplify the true meaning of a Hospice nurse. We are proud and lucky to have such a treasure, "our angel" Hospice Nurse Susann.