“Everyone works together as a team. It feels like a family.”

Hospice is a wonderful organization. It’s something I feel is a calling. You’re helping patients and families at a time when they’re in the most need. You’re providing comfort and helping give them dignity at the end of their life. It’s something I love to do. I don’t see myself doing anything else.

Hospice is a whole different world. It’s like going from one extreme to the other. In the hospital, you want to treat everything. With Hospice, you’re no longer treating every little thing and trying to cure someone. You’re addressing their symptoms and trying to make them as comfortable as possible.

Even if you’re having a bad day, when you think about what these patients and families are going through, you change your tone on the phone and when you visit them. These patients are actively dying or have six months or less to live. You want to give them that time, make sure they feel important, don’t feel rushed. It helps put your life into perspective even when you’re having a bad day.

Everyone works together as a team. It feels like a family. The teamwork, the dedication, the compassion. They do an awesome job. These nurses are patient-focused, patient-centered, they’re advocates. I’ve never worked with a better team.

I had no idea what it was about when I started. I wanted something different. I had a friend who had a job here. I applied. I’m still here 13 years later, and I can see myself retiring from Hospice.