NewsLine - June 2012 - (Page 24)

continued from previous page Empowering Hospice Aides The Educational Program at HCN By Catherine Sweeney, RN, CHPN Working with hospice aides was one of the best experiences I had during my 15 years as a hospice nurse. Hospice aides were the staff who could share what was really happening at the patient’s bedside and within his or her family network. Hospice aides were the way for the best care to be given, and the information they shared helped make our patients’ final days more comfortable and peaceful. Now, in my role as a clinical educator at the Hospice Care Network (HCN), I have become both their teacher—and their biggest cheerleader! with a reminder that the work they do matters to both patients and staff—and teach your new nurses to ask, listen and respect their input. As aides start to feel their worth, they will become more interested in their own development and will be more eager to learn. about wound care and the use of Arginade in helping wounds heal in patients who are not too close to dying. We are also very lucky to have a diverse group of pastoral care members, so aides have had the opportunity to learn about different faiths. In terms of learning from the nursing discipline, we have conducted educational sessions on COPD, heart failure, and dementia. Later this year, they will learn about leukemia. Why teach these topics? Some topics are taught because aides asked for information about the disease and others were chosen because they are common diagnoses in hospice care. In the session on COPD, aides learned about the causes and physiology of the disease as well as how to provide care for patients with this diagnosis. In teaching the anatomy, a diagram was used to illustrate how the air travels through the respiratory system. When teaching how breathing Help Them Connect With Other Team Members The education program for hospice aides at the Hospice Care Network is set up before the year begins, with speakers arranged and dates set. The education comes from the different disciplines, and guest speakers such as physical and respiratory therapists. This year, for example, a physical therapist taught techniques for self-care as well as use of the transfer belt. The bereavement department is planning a memorial service as a way for our aides to remember the patients who have died. And in sessions presented by our CWCN and dietician, aides learned more Help Them Recognize Their Value The first thing that hospice aides need is to understand how much the work they do is appreciated. Acknowledging their contributions can be done in many ways, from having staff members write them thank you notes to formal recognition events that celebrate their work. You can also start each inservice 24 NewsLine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - June 2012

A Plan to Support ADRs
A Message From Don
Task Force Focuses on Rural Issues
Join the Rural eGroup
Rural and Frontier Area Toolkit (display ad)
Palliative Services at Methodist Healthcare
Experience the ACHC Difference (display ad)
The Voice of NCHPP
Empowering Hospice Aides
My.NHPCO—a Great Resource for Hospice Nurses
HPCANYS Receives Trailblazer Award
New EOL Study on Intensity of Cancer Care
Run to Remember Proceeds Now Support African Hospices
EROM Now POM
Simione: Solving Your Hospice Challenges (display ad)
Staying Savvy and Saving Money
Regulatory Tip of the Month
MLC Plenaries Now Webcasts
Resource Links to Bookmark
Videos Worth Watching
News From NHF

NewsLine - June 2012