Anamarys Armenteros Careaga, R.N., knows that clinical care for patients in hospice provides a valuable service. “Hearing a family member say, ‘We couldn’t have done this without you,’ makes all the hard work worth it,” she says. “Hospice is not an easy profession yet guiding people through what is often the most challenging time of their life is incredibly fulfilling.”
With four years of experience as a nurse, Careaga believes every day as a hospice nurse is a unique experience filled with teachable moments.
“I remember taking care of a patient in his last moments of life,” she tells us. “His daughter was inconsolable. I sat next to her as she told me about her childhood memories with her father. She said goodbye to him little by little. I listened to her as he passed away. She thanked me and said this would not have been the same without my support.”
Careaga often reflects on her experience in providing compassionate care: “Helping patients transition with dignity, on their own terms, is very rewarding for hospice nurses,” she says.
