You could say that Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care is built around nurses. Our founder, Susan Compton, is a registered nurse herself and understands the enormous role nursing plays in making patients comfortable. She even conducts her own face-to-face visits with patients to check in on them every chance she gets.
The nurses at Ardent reflect Susan’s passion, and they truly make up the essence of our organization. Our patients see their nurses on a weekly, or sometimes, daily basis, meaning the majority of their interaction with Ardent is through their nurse.
In the spirit of National Nurses Week (May 6-12), we want to take the time to acknowledge how amazing our nurses are. Here are just a few reasons they are the heart and soul of Ardent.
Each of our nurses is highly skilled in their practice.
The nursing component of Ardent is made up of three levels: LVN (licensed vocational nurse), RN (registered nurse), and nurse practitioner. Typically, our LVNs and RNs are the ones who visit patients regularly, while the RN oversees the entire patient’s care. Our nurse practitioner offers a higher level of care, prescribing new medications and working almost as a doctor when necessary.
Our nurses all come from diverse professional backgrounds, and have seen many different diseases, symptoms, and environments, enabling them to immediately and expertly respond when a patient is in need.
They take on whatever role is needed to help care for the patient.
Our nurses take on many different roles besides just that of a medical attendant. Often, they become an extended family member, offering emotional and grief support to both the patient and their loved ones in times of need. They’re also a mediator for the patient and family, answering any questions they may have about doctor visits, disease progression, symptoms, or resources. Our nurses also wear the hat of facilitator, communicating with the patient’s outside care teams to coordinate appointments and care. So, while our nurses are excellent at what they do, from a medical standpoint, they’re also incredibly adept in every aspect of caregiving.
Our nurses are available to patients 24/7.
Ardent offers a 24/7 nursing line for patients to call whenever they have a question or concern. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it may be, every time they call, they’re able to speak to one of our nurses who triage for them over the phone or send someone to check on them if necessary. It gives patients peace of mind knowing they can talk to someone who is knowledgeable and who cares any time they need help.
They go above and beyond for patients.
Most of our nurses work a typical 9-5 schedule, but they’ll often go out of their way to visit patients even beyond those hours. They become invested with the patient’s care and comfort, and will make additional visits, beyond what may be scheduled, to ensure their patient is doing well.
Because they know each of their patients personally, they may also go above and beyond to bring them surprises—like a favorite snack, book, or playlist. Patients have even been surprised with something as wonderful as a service dog. The nurses will also spend more time with a patient who is in a low emotional state, leading activities that get them to open up or feel more at peace.
They take the time to get to know their patients and families personally.
Essentially, patients get their own personal nurse when they come onto hospice or palliative care with Ardent. We spend time matching up whom we feel would be the best nurse for each patient. So even from the beginning, their experience with their nurse is more personalized. Then, our nurses take it a step beyond, by spending time with the patient and making a conscious effort to get to know them and their family. This is critical, because sometimes, a patient might not express how they’re feeling or what they need. Because our nurses know them so well, they’re able to pick up on subtle cues or symptoms to bring them back to a comfort state.
Our nurses are such an integral part of Ardent’s team. They’re our leaders in care, giving patients and families a personalized and thoughtful experience. To learn more about how our nurses work with the rest of our team to bring exceptional care to our patients, visit us online or call Ardent at 559-408-5945.
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