I find hospice nursing a rewarding career because we have the opportunity to nurse the "whole" person. During the final stages of life, we address our patient's physical, spiritual and emotional concerns and also support the family. When people are in pain, we share our knowledge to help them become more comfortable. It's not a hurry up, get in there and get out situation, it's getting to know my patients. We empower our patients to make their own decisions and be part of the care. I tell my patients, "You're in charge. I'm here to walk the journey with you."

There's a nice variety. One of the beauties of being a hospice nurse is that no two days are alike! Sometimes we start from home and go directly to a patient's home. Other times, we come into the office, listen to messages, and check on our patients during the night. The only routines are weekly team meetings and visiting our patients every day.

We work as a team and have good support. From our clinical managers, physicians and administrator (who is an RN) to our fellow teammates, we always have a place to go to for answers to any questions. Our staff has a variety of experience so there is always someone to help or help me find the resources I need. It's nice to know I'm never all by myself. I feel nurtured here.

First of all, you have to be comfortable with the death and dying process since we do deal with it on a daily basis. We became nurses because we care about people and have the tendency to be empathic. We have to try not to get too emotionally attached to our patients, since that can be emotionally draining. Our managers give us the opportunities to debrief if we need it and we always have good team support. Some people have said, "It must be hard to be a hospice nurse." And I have to say, "No, it's not. I find it an incredible privilege to be around folks during this very private and emotional time in their lives."

No, there is no special training, but you do need basic nurse's training, some education in the Psycho-Social area is helpful and knowledge of pharmaceuticals. Working in a hospital setting prior to hospice care helps build good assessment techniques. However, most of our expertise comes from visiting our patients and being in the field day to day. You have to learn to be in tune with people, having an aptitude for your patients. We are encouraged to continue learning and further our training. Some nurses may go on to become certified as a hospice and palliative care nurse. Flexibility, good prioritizing and organizational skills are also helpful.