Drawn to helping the elderly in her youth, Marilyn Moore, RN chose a career in nursing. Next month she’ll celebrate her 18th year working on the same Suncoast Hospice care team. In her compassionate care and support to patients and families, she gives much comfort and education, has been enriched by their lives and has realized she could love more than she thought possible.
Q&A with Marilyn Moore, RN:
- What’s your professional background?
As a teenager I worked as a housekeeper in a nursing home and it made me want to give back to the older population. After high school I went to school as a nursing assistant. I started working as an aide at St. Anthony’s Hospital, and the motivation of my patients inspired me to get my LPN and later my RN. I was a single mom and wanted to help and make a difference in the lives of those who couldn’t take care of themselves any more. I also worked at Bayfront Hospital in rehab and for a home care agency.
- Why did you join Suncoast Hospice?
At the home care agency there was a nurse who worked for hospice. She told me, “I only have known you a few days but you would be perfect for hospice”. She saw my potential, brought me an application and encouraged me to apply. I never had heard of hospice, and when she told me she worked with the terminally-ill I wasn’t initially interested. Eventually, there were some layoffs in my agency and I still had my hospice application. I turned it in and I was hired in two weeks.
- What was it like starting in hospice care?
One of my first patient deaths was at night. I called into our operator and she heard the fear and nervousness in my voice and she got a social worker to meet me at the patient’s house. Everything went very well because of all the support, especially from the social worker, and the preparation I received from my initial hospice training. I bathed the patient and disposed of medicines. I let the family know about our bereavement services and that we cared for them and would be there if they needed us.
- What are your goals in care?
My goal for my families is first of all patient education. I give families the tools they need to care for their loved ones in their homes. I ensure the medicines are there and families know how to administer them. I let families know we’re available whenever they need us. My most important goal is patient comfort. I treat every patient as an individual and assess his or her needs. I work together with our pharmacy staff and the physicians of the patients (their own or our hospice physicians) to ensure the patients’ symptoms are managed.
- What’s your approach caring for different cultures?
I respect the many different cultures and religions we serve and ask how they deal with death and they’ve taught me. I’ve had homes where you must take off your shoes out of respect or where the families have prayed with rosary and out loud and held hands. I’ve been with Asian families where everybody in the homes takes care of the patients and felt that closeness. I’ve seen people who have no religion and we find funeral homes or our chaplains to do services if that’s what the families wanted.
- Who’s one of your most memorable patients/families?
There’s one patient I’ll never forget – this one woman who had a brain tumor I visited when I first started. Life seemed to be gone out of her. I held her hand and told her I was her nurse and I’d help her husband. The next visit she was sitting up and eating. She told me she heard me and had hope.
- What’s your advice to caregivers?
My advice to caregivers is to take to care of themselves and try to get out as much as they can. They may turn to their church members, neighbors or support groups to help them learn how other people are coping. I push for the support of our social workers and chaplains if I see my families are having a hard time.
- How do you take care of yourself?
I go to the movies and church. Those are my outlets. Being around my supportive friends also helps me and I give out a lot of hugs.
- What have you learned in your career?
I’ve learned every day is a gift. I’ve learned people need people at the end of life, comfort and closure. I’ve learned the respect that our community has for what we do is outstanding. I’ve learned in caring for our patients I could absolutely love more than I thought I could and I have so much to learn from them.
- How do the nurses support each other?
The nurses on our different teams support each other by getting together and having lunch. We talk, debrief and give support.
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