MAY 2021 | 7
CELEBRATE NURSES
Grandmother’s hospice care made impact on Huett
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CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick
ammy Huett realized about 20 years ago that she wanted to be a hospice nurse. Her first experience with hospice was when the doctors could no longer do anything more for her grandmother. “She just wanted to go home and to be able to die at home,” Huett said. “I was there when she was transported (home) and I was there when the local hospice came in and they made that happen. It really made an impression on me and I knew at that time I wanted to be a hospice nurse one day.” Huett said she is a later-in-life nurse. She raised her family before she started nursing school. “I finished the nursing program at LinnBenton Community College in 2017, and was hired with Lumina Hospice & Palliative Care the same month I graduated,” she said. Huett and her husband lived in Costa Rica for 10 years and raised their two boys there before moving to Oregon in 2012. At that time, Huett began volunteering at Lumina, then known as Benton Hospice Service. As a registered nurse, Huett works threequarter time as a weekend, on-call and afterhours nurse. “I’m part of a 24-hour team,” she said. “I respond to all patients and answer calls for hospice and palliative care needs at any time for any reason.” This schedule allows case managers to leave a visit list for weekend staff who also answer any calls that may come in. Huett’s nomination form said “She is a wonderful hospice nurse that truly cares for our patients’ needs. She has a comforting/ nurturing nature towards patients and coworkers, and is always to kind to everyone.” “Tammy has a sweet, gentle side but is also fierce when advocating f o r
PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons
patients and families,” said Stacy Cole, Lumina clinical manager. “She is full of compassion and dedication.” Huett also helps cover the clinical manager position when necessary. “The goal is to keep people as comfortable as they possibly can be at the end stages of their lives,” Huett said. “Sometimes you can try everything and it’s not always possible. That’s very difficult when someone is struggling. We can just try our best and do what we can, but if that’s not 100% effective as we hoped, we do what we can.” In this time of COVID-19, with all the masks and face shields and trying to be there and present with patients, it’s a challenge to make the same connections with patients, Huett said. “I feel like that’s a barrier,” she said. “Our patient population is older and hard of hearing. It’s difficult to connect …. not to be able to give family a hug; we just can’t do that anymore.” While Huett works at her dream job part time, she is available to work with her husband at their winery, Huett Cellars.
Be the nurse you want to be. As an independent, community-based nonprofit, we are able to go above and beyond to provide compassionate care to patients and families when they need it most. Lumina nurses play a critical role in leading this patient-centered care. Be part of our award-winning team. luminahospice.org/jobs
