“Advanced care planning is so important for both the patient and family members, as it relieves the burden of wading through the emotional web we all face when we lose someone. I have been a nurse for over 20 years and most of that time was working with cancer patients. I had the opportunity to work as a hospice nurse for two years and it was one of the best things I have ever done for my nursing career. My experiences with hospice made me a better nurse. I began to see how difficult it was to navigate the care of patients within the home and that most families are unprepared for the toll it takes. If I hadn’t already been a believer, my hospice experiences would have made me one.”
Naomi W. MSN, RN, OCN
Community Cancer Education Coordinator
During our conversation about my book, When It’s TimeTM, and the value it could have within Naomi’s hospital as a Community Cancer Education Coordinator — (my opinion) with staff in the Emergency Department, ICU, and chaplain department, Naomi reflected on her time as a nurse caring for people.
Naomi and I share experiences that many unequipped people will go through, and it’s difficult without mentoring. When It’s TimeTM helps a person prepare for end-of-life planning, and for survivors when their loved one passes. As an example, chapters titled Receiving Hospice Care, Understanding Your Health Insurance, Choosing the Right Funeral Home, and Grieving Your Loss, help “pre-planners” and survivor(s) maneuver through these difficult subject matters by having experts share their knowledge and experience.
I have had many conversations with medical professionals who have commented about the content of When It’s TimeTM by saying: “There is nothing like this available for the hospital staff, so the conversation(s) seldom occurs. Finally, these topics are addressed through your book.”
Just recently I met with a Trauma Program Director with a large hospital in California. Her excitement about the book’s contents were similar to Naomi’s. If I (Rick) could sum it up in one phrase how hospital and hospice workers feel about the book, it would be “We’ve never had a resource like this after all these years, but now we do!”
