As national case management week came to a close
I started off as a field nurse, fresh out of nursing school. I was young, bright, and motivated. This was my first gig as an LVN and I was nervous. I remember telling myself in nursing school that I could never work in hospice, thinking that all it was about was death. But I wanted to work and gain experience, so I gave it a go. I began seeing patients, driving to their homes and meeting with their families. At first, it was such a surreal experience to see what “dying” looked like. Nothing in nursing school could have prepared me for this – as a lot of our focus was to “treat” or “cure” people. But I began to develop fond relationships with my patients, attending to their needs, listening to their stories, and being there for them during a time where they needed care the most. Not too long after that, I began to realize that hospice was more than just “death”; it’s about providing compassionate and dignified care during life’s final stages. And to me, I felt proud to be a part of something that truly makes a difference. Up until that point as a young adult, I felt I hadn’t yet made an impact in the world, but this was my start and I was motivated to seek more.
Fast forward a couple years, having gained experience on the field, I began dedicating my time after hours and on weekends as an “on-call nurse”. This granted me the opportunity to learn about leadership in a nursing setting. I felt proud and honored that I would be trusted to hold the responsibility of caring for all of our patients at one given time. While on call, I would triage distress calls, discerning which situations needed a visit or not. I would lend a shoulder to cry on or an ear to vent to for caretakers who felt lost caring for their terminal loved one. I would delegate tasks and assignments to field staff, coaching them along the way. During this time, I learned how to lead and to supervise. And I was grateful to my higher ups for giving me the opportunity to grow.
It wasn’t long before I was offered a position as a case manager. Up until this point, I had great respect for my case managers because they helped shape me into a better nurse and basically taught me everything I knew. So you can imagine how honored I felt that I would be considered for the role! I thought I knew what case management would be like, thinking my experience as an on-call nurse was enough. But I would soon learn just how scrupulous being a case manager really was…
The responsibility that comes with being a case manager is meaningful to families that are receiving our care. They deserve to have care that is quality driven, compassionate, and dignified. We are nurses. We are always here with an ear to listen and a hand to help, but most importantly a heart to care for every single family and patient who entrusts us with their lives. We aim to inspire nurses on the field, be their advocate and confident as they care for your loved ones with their utmost capability.
I have laughed and cried doing the work that we do. But in the end it’s all worth it.
There’s one thing that must exist in order to succeed as a hospice case manager: support. Case managers rely on the support of fellow case managers to get through the day. We laugh with each other. We cry with each other. But at True Care Hospice, the case management department is like a sisterhood. At the end of the day, we’ve got each other’s backs. Together we are a team with one ultimate objective: To serve you.
As case managers, we go above and beyond our job descriptions to help the families we serve. We do this out of compassion and dedication, without seeking praise or reward. Motivational author Leo Buscaglia said it best, “too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around”
After all, case managers are the glue that holds every hospice team together. I am honored to hold that title of case manager.