Today... - Hospice of the Western Reserve

Today...
I know what they’re going through
Tracy Deskin Iram, Nurse
Today, I look back on being a nursing student when I saw my first patient
nearing death. I had no idea what to say to him. Then I was diagnosed
with breast cancer. I’m actually glad that I got breast cancer because
without it, I couldn’t be an effective nurse. Knowing what the patient is
going through–how much bills matter; how much things outside of being
ill matter; wondering, “Am I going to die” Being afraid to die meant
something different than I thought it would. It makes everything really
solid and things come into focus more.
In the hospital, death was the elephant in the room that nobody
was talking about. I requested an internship to experience all
aspects of hospice, from hands-on patient care to home
visits for palliative care to advocating for public policy
changes. I wanted to be somewhere where people actually
said, “Yes, you’re dying. How can we help you How can
we help your family What do you need to get done
before this happens”
Teaching Healthcare Professionals, Reaching the Community
The Hospice Institute presented 233 Continuing Education programs in 2007
with a total attendance of 3,894 professionals. Over 1,000 students from
all disciplines accrued a total of 12,804 teaching hours. Two professional
conferences—the End-Of-Life Learning Series and the Fall Conference—had a
total attendance of 452.
10 [Annual Report 2007]