Accepting a hospice diagnosis is difficult. Angie Burroughs handled many hard challenges to help our family cope with a terminal diagnosis. She helped us as we cycled through stages of grief. She kept a positive attitude but yet remained realistic about the diagnosis. She recognized that nursing is not just about giving medications to a patient but that sometimes smiling and talking with a person who is ill can be just as important. She treated us with respect. Of course her assessment skills were excellent, but she stood out because of these other abilities.

Due to a medication allergy and also difficulty swallowing, pain medication became problematic. Angie found a pharmacy that would make the appropriate formulation and then picked it up and delivered it to our home on the same day we asked even though it was not a scheduled appointment day.

That is only one example of her dedication. She coordinated many community resources for holistic care: comfortable oxygen tubing, hospital bed, air mattress, pharmacy delivery service, nutrition education, counseling us, collaborating with the physician, bath aide, pharmacist, social worker, so many things. She educated and counseled us on the progression of the disease. Her physical assessment skills were superb. She noted subtle skin color changes, lung sounds, hydration and mental status. She also easily inserted a catheter when many others have had difficulty.

Her care did not end after our loved one passed. She coordinated with the funeral home so that our family had the time we needed first. She facilitated the equipment pick up so we didn't have to. She made all of these arrangements quietly, while staying out of the way.

Angie holistically cared for our family. She recognizes that the entire family is her patient and not just our ill loved one.