A Day in the Life with a Hospice Case Manager
Providing general nursing care. Managing physical and emotional symptoms. Helping to ensure limited time with loved ones can be enjoyed to the fullest.
Those are just some of the responsibilities Shelby Todor takes on for nine hours each day as an RN on our hospice team. She joined Absolute Hospice in June 2017 and is passionate about the relationships she creates with patients and families.
Her day typically begins at 8 a.m. by reading reports about the previous night. She triages her patients to figure out who she needs to treat first. After responding to emails and phone calls, Shelby meets with patients to perform typical nursing tasks.
“My biggest reward is when I’m able to help my patient find peace and comfort”
She assesses basic vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, pulse, pain and anything else related to a patient’s comfort level. She also works with physicians and other hospice team members in addition to interacting with patients’ families. Keeping families up to date on the patient is an important part of providing the best care.
“It’s very important to be a good communicator with them as this time in their life is often stressful and filled with emotion,” Shelby says. “The better the communication, the better the hospice experience.”
While she enjoys her interactions with patients and physicians, she finds challenges to her job as well.
“I devote a lot of emotion and time to my patients,” Shelby says. “Finding work-life balance is key but can sometimes be difficult.”
Shelby adds that hospice is important because navigating life-limiting illnesses can be tough for patients to manage alone.
“Hospice is able to come in and improve quality of life by managing pain and symptoms as well as promoting overall comfort physically, spiritually and emotionally,” she says.