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Tuesday, May 13
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 Alicia Klotz, RN |
Working Behind the Scenes, Making Miracles
Alicia Klotz, RN, says she’s the behind-the-scenes hospice nurse. As an admissions nurse for three years for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Chicagoland South, Klotz evaluates and educates patients and families that have been referred to hospice. Sometimes, her visit comes as a surprise.
“I’ll walk in and say, ‘Hi, I’m from hospice,’” Klotz recounts. “And they’ll say, ‘What? Am I dying?’ And I realize I need to contact the doctor and confirm what the patient has been told.”
The number-one priority is communication, she says—particularly between the patient’s doctor and the patient. But as a hospice professional, Klotz is accustomed to having conversations with patients and families in which it falls to her to break bad news.
“Being told you are hospice appropriate is bad news, yes,” she says. “But I emphasize the good news—that’s the miracle part of what an admissions nurse does. It’s all in the education, the approach, and my approach is, we take it day by day, helping you live with your illness to the best of your ability. I love to see that ‘eureka’ expression on a patient’s face when they get it.”
Klotz works 1 to 9:30 p.m., enabling her to see families who work during the day or must travel to meet with her. Allowing two to two-and-a-half hours per visit, she averages three referrals a day.
“I’m going to the hospital right now,” she says. “I’ll look at the chart, note the name, diagnosis, address, doctor, payer source. I’ll make a chart evaluation to confirm that the patient is hospice appropriate. Then I’ll go in and talk to the patient and family. I find out what their understanding is of hospice. I’ll evaluate the patient’s condition. I’ll contact the referral source and the doctor.
“My next appointment is in a private home, and my approach is different. There’s no chart, for one thing. I’ll ask what they understand about hospice care, what they have been going through. I’ll explain the hospice philosophy, and how we can alleviate the symptoms they tell me about. I don’t like to use the word terminal. I say, ‘Your illness shows that a toll is being taken on your body. We can offer a gentler way to care for you.’
“I had a family the other day that was so distraught about their mother’s decline. I told them we were there for the family too. Hospice can improve the quality of life for everyone.
“I like to tell people, ‘Hospice doesn’t hurt.’ Meaning literally, we can alleviate pain, and figuratively, it can’t hurt to give hospice a try.”
100 South Biscayne Blvd, Suite 1500 Miami, FL
33131 (305) 374-4143 |
