Dawn Anderson, hospice nurse at Evelyn’s House
Photo provided by BJC HealthCare
NURSING PROGRAM: LPN, Louisiana Tech University; RN, Kaskaskia College
AREA OF FOCUS: Hospice nursing
YEARS OF SERVICE: 25
Three thousand colorfully painted rocks are artfully arranged in the landscaped outdoor meditation courtyard at Evelyn’s House, a part of BJC HealthCare, a ranch-style hospice home located adjacent to Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.
Each rock pays tribute to a patient who has spent their last days of life there. Decorated by the staff, the stones are visible through the garden window from the home’s central gathering space for families. It’s one of the first sights visitors see when they enter the facility. For the staff, including nurse Dawn Anderson, the stones are a unique and memorable way to honor the lives who have passed and prepare the staff to care for those who have yet to come.
Bringing comfort and peace
It takes a special person to be a hospice nurse. For Anderson, who has been a nurse for the past 15 years and who began working at Evelyn’s House when it opened in 2017, it’s the most rewarding career imaginable.
“Just being with people at the end of life and providing them comfort and peace, it’s magical in a way, but also very sad,” she said. “When we come into the world it’s with the knowledge that we’re going to leave at some point and, when we do, you want it to be a good experience for the patient and the family. The connection we build with the families during their time here is very, very precious.”
Anderson said people are amazed that Evelyn’s House feels more like a home than a hospital floor.
“There’s a feeling of hominess, safety, security and just peace,” she said. “I’ve just never worked at a place like this in my life. There is so much harmony here.”
The 18,000-square-foot ranch house features walkout patios off each room, a cozy gathering space, and dedicated music and art therapy rooms. The natural outdoor surroundings include a walking path, gazebo, playground, water fountain and exquisitely flowered landscaping, all visible from the patient rooms. Other features include a meditation room, beauty salon and spa. Ice cream is available when a patient or family has the urge to indulge, too.
Anderson said what she enjoys most about working at Evelyn’s House is the sound of the birds chirping in the background.
“Our volunteers keep the bird feeders quite full, so the sound of nature is always there in the background. It’s a wonderful, cheerful sound that is so soothing for both our patients and their families,” she said.
When the weather is nice, Anderson said, staff wheel patients in their beds outside to their private patios so they can experience nature up close.
Dedicated care and support
Evelyn’s House was designed to offer patients and families an alternative in special circumstances such as the short-term management of pain and symptoms, respite for caregivers, and when care in the family home is not feasible.
“We make every moment count,” she said.
For her, the most challenging part of the job is helping family members understand what comfort care really is.
“It’s hard when you don’t have a medical background or just haven’t experienced it,” she said. “Some families think the medication may be causing their loved ones to feel as if they’re fading, but we have to let them know it’s the disease’s progress causing that symptom.”
Anderson said each family member receives a copy of the BJC handbook, “Hold My Hand,” which was written by a fellow hospice nurse and includes information and advice on what they can expect during their time there.
“We tell them to make the most of the time they have. A lot of patients will arrive alert and able to have conversations. But as healthcare providers, we know those days are limited. So every minute you have with your loved one, use it,” Anderson said.
Death is hard on everyone, but for the hospice nurse who witnesses it on a daily basis, self-care is incredibly important to be able to survive in that environment.
“Faith is my self-care,” Anderson said, “While these patients are not our loved ones, they become part of the Evelyn family and their death no less traumatic.”
