Registered Nurse

Hospice and Palliative care are about helping people living with chronic and terminal illnesses. Both Hospice and Palliative care can support all of those affected by their loved one’s diagnosis. The RN’s role is to achieve the best quality of life for the patient.

Does being a palliative care registered nurse involve?
As well as providing nursing support by assessing, planning, and providing for peoples’ needs, a LifeChoice Registered Nurse is there to make our seniors comfortable, give them emotional support, and provide relief for caregivers. 

How hospice registered nurses care for seniors at LifeChoice.
The practical nature of a hospice nurse’s work goes far beyond simple physical patient care. Their calm and attentive presence, expert care, and unwavering spirit of compassion create a connection between the patient and the nurse, which provides comfort and peace throughout their life.
Over time, as patients become closer to their nurses, they often see their nurse as a trustee. Our RNs can assist our elders as they step through end-of-life care organically and peacefully by sharing precious memories or even deep fears. 

LifeChoice registered nurses provide psychosocial support to their patients.
For some, the end of life can be incredibly lonely. This is especially true when the patient may not have close friends or relatives who are with them during the last days of life.
Our nurses are the emotional and spiritual support of their seniors when needed.
As nurses and their patients become acquainted with each other, RNs are so profoundly aware of the end of the patient’s life, a powerful and unique emotional connection is formed. Our nurses provide patients with a desirable social harmony and belonging source with their compassionate spirit and loving nature.

Hospice nurses help to improve the quality of patient care continually.
Because LifeChoice nurses help implement a patient care plan, they constantly assess any changes in the patient’s condition and record specific recommendations to improve the patient’s overall comfort level.
Upon receiving this information, our registered nurse provides these recommendations and the latest information about the patient’s condition at a meeting of the hospice interdisciplinary team.

How Hospice Nurses Care for a Patient’s Family.
When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal disease, the impact of the diagnosis extends to the whole family. Recognizing this, the philosophy of holistic hospice care ensures that family members of terminally ill patients receive the care and support they need during and after their loved one’s stay in the hospice.
Our RNs provide patient education; it can be defined as the process of influencing patient behavior and producing the changes in knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to maintain or improve health. 
RNs will also support the family by assisting with prescriptions, medication regimens, and symptom management. They also ensure that the family has the medical supplies and equipment necessary for their loved one to be taken care of effectively and safely in the home setting.

LifeChoice registered nurses provide emotional support to families.
When choosing to enroll in a hospice, many elderly decide to move in with their families to spend more time in the presence and comfort of their loved ones. When visiting our seniors at home, LifeChoice nurses often communicate with the patient’s family members.
Understandably, during some visits, family members may begin to express some of their fears and concerns about the end of life’s loved one’s journey.
In these moments of honest and open communication, LifeChoice nurses can provide helpful information to help calm a patient’s family members who feel confused and help them understand that feelings of insecurity and fear are common.
These moments of encouragement and support help family members understand that they are more than able to be the comforting, loving presence that their terminally ill loved one needs in the last days of life.
Our support team is open for you and your family 24/7.
Please, contact us by phone at 847-777-8888 or via email at info@mylifechoice.org. 

Meet Our Amazing LifeChoice RNs
We were able to catch these angels on the fly and ask them a few questions about what being a Hospice RN means to them. These halo-clad ladies had some genuinely heartwarming answers. 

Question: Why did you become a hospice RN?
Racheal: I watched my grandfather receive hospice care for end-stage Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. I remember the peace the RN made us feel like a family. The care was just so different from the rushed care we had received before hospice. The RN spent time with us. 

Aleksandra: For me, I truly love working with the elderly population, and I found, through my years in hospice, that the love and comfortability are mutual. 

Question: What makes being a hospice RN so unique?
Marina: We are building relationships with individuals and their families in some of the hardest moments of their lives. The reward comes from keeping those we care for comfortable and ensuring their dignity. 
Racheal: The sign of relief on my patient’s faces when I can ease their worries or soothe a symptom is so rewarding. Making a positive impact on the time they have left makes me get out of bed every morning, happy to come to work. 
Aleksandra: Meeting new families and getting the word out on the benefits of hospice makes each day fulfilling. I get to take my time to sit and answer hard questions, explain the services, and then see everyone reap the benefits of what hospice provides. Educating is so important because there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to hospice. 

Question: I am sure that hospice nursing can be taxing at times. How do you handle the day-to-day emotional toll of being a hospice RN? 
Marina: I look to my fellow hospice nurses for daily support. We deal with very difficult situations, and we know we can count on each other. Our Chaplain offers the team emotional and spiritual support so we stay healthy-minded and we can be there for our patients with our whole hearts. 
Aleksandra:  I lean on my best friend, who is also a hospice registered nurse. Like many hospice RNs, we share mutual compassion for our patients. However, much of my comfort stems from my internal respect for life and the knowing that I gave the quality of life in an individual’s final days. 

Our RN Racheal had a more humorous approach to letting off a little steam…

Racheal: LOUD MUSIC and COFFEE!!!!