Blog

Hospice nurses

by David S. Wiley, President & CEO of Kansas City Hospice

Hospice nurses have extraordinary skills and extraordinary hearts!

Kansas City Hospice is blessed to have an incredible team of caregivers. Each May we recognize the nurses who are often at the forefront of hospice care. If the job were only symptom management, hospice nurses would still stand out for their extraordinary skills. But, the heart of a hospice nurse is just as important as their education and experience. Just as an obstetrics nurse ushers in a life, a hospice nurse often ushers the end of life.

Kansas City HospiceOur nurses work with each patient and family to advocate for them, make sure everyone is treated with dignity, respect their personal beliefs, and honor their choices. They have a sacred duty.

And sometimes their duty is to do nothing at all. When blood pressure is taken, meds are administered, dressings are changed, and their patient is comfortable — that’s when nurses often sit by a patient’s side, hold their hand, look them in the eye, share stories about growing up, and generally just be there for them. That’s what the families will remember.

Hospice nurses are called to provide a meaningful connection and ease the transition from life to death. They assist the family in accepting what lies ahead. Our nurses help those family members make many difficult decisions that will benefit the patient in their last weeks or months. They work daily to preserve the quality of life.

“How are you doing?”

I know that when my family felt confused, scared and overwhelmed, our hospice nurse helped us understand the treatments and timelines. One key conversation from our hospice nurse that resonates with me all these years later is a simple question “how are you doing?.” The compassion of the question was so important at that very moment.

What makes their jobs even more challenging is that sometimes patient’s wishes aren’t in accordance with the family’s wishes. They must maintain a focus on the patient’s preferences and respecting their autonomy while at the same time supporting the family as they navigate a process they’ve likely never been through before.

My wish would be to have people choose hospice sooner, to let our amazing nurses prepare the way ahead, take over the most difficult tasks, and give families the chance to just be together. Thank you to all of our amazing nurses, along with the many other caregivers who make it such a joy for me to work alongside you.

All my best,
David

About Us

 
The mission of Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care is to bring expert care, peace of mind, comfort, guidance, and hope to people who are affected by life-limiting illness or by grief. Our vision is that each person in our community is valued from life through death and each family is supported in their grief.

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Our Programs

There's a long list of hospices in Kansas City, but there's only one Kansas City Hospice. Our programs provide comprehensive expert care for all ages at all stages of serious illness.

Hospice Care

When the focus shifts to comfort instead of treatment, care comes to your home or nursing facility with a plan tailored to your needs, including emotional and spiritual support for the whole family.

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Hospice Care

Palliative Home Health Care

When complex needs benefit from a team approach, supportive home care brings the care you need, with 24/7 nurse support for pain, stress and symptoms due to serious illness.

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Palliative Home Health Care

Community-Based Palliative Care

Beginning as early as diagnosis and at any stage of serious illness, our nurse practitioners make home visits as needed to help coordinate your care and provide expert pain and symptom management.

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Community-Based Palliative Care
Hospice House

Hospice House

When symptoms cannot be easily managed at home, two hospice houses provide 24/7 expert care in comfortable home-line settings where family members can be relieved of caregiving duties to focus on loved ones.

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Carousel Pediatric Care

Carousel provides palliative and hospice care for perinatal and for babies through young adults with a dedicated team of pediatric nurses, social workers, chaplains and other specialists.

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Carousel Pediatric Care
Solace House

Solace House

Our center for grief and healing supports individuals and families who have been impacted by the death of a loved one, whether anticipated, or sudden and unexpected. We provide opportunities to share, listen, learn and heal with peer group support from age 3 through adult.

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