Tidewell Foundation Raising the Next Generation of Hospice Nurses

During her 12-hour shifts as a hospice nurse, Maren Stevens bonds with her patients and their families as she cares for them. While her primary concern is ensuring the patient is comfortable, her care extends to the whole family as she answers their questions and helps prepare them for the death of their loved one.

It’s an incredibly important career—one that Maren felt called to embrace once she learned of it.

Tidewell Hospice, a not-for-profit organization, offers care provided by expert care teams wherever patients call home – a private residence, assisted living care facility, nursing home, or Tidewell care facility. Serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, the Tidewell Foundation provides the philanthropic support needed to ensure all who need the world-class care of Tidewell Hospice in our community can receive it, regardless of their ability to pay. Along with final wishes, pet therapy, grief education, and a variety of other full-life services, the Tidewell Foundation also funds the only accredited non-profit Nurse Residency program in the United States.

Tidewell began its Nurse Residency Program in 2018 to combat the nursing shortage in our region. Now, 6 years later, it is the first hospice to be accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), joining a network of 264 nurse residency programs across the nation. In nursing school, hospice or “palliative care” typically doesn’t get a lot of attention. Tidewell’s Nurse Residency Program fills this gap by teaching novice nurses the specialty of hospice nursing and preparing them to care for patients and families at the end of life.

“I didn’t know this career was an option, just coming out of nursing school,” Maren shared.

“Hospice care had always appealed to me, and after learning that Tidewell’s Residency Program would provide all the necessary training, I applied right away.” 

Maren was accepted into the program and began training immediately. Guided by a clinical coach, she gained the skills necessary to care for all aspects of patient health. Maren also trained in Tidewell’s unique, high-tech Simulation Lab, where realistic scenarios with programmable manikins mimic what a hospice nurse may encounter on the job. In addition to administering medical care, hospice nurses facilitate requests for patient comfort including spiritual care or music, art, and pet therapies.

“People think it must be sad to be caring for patients who aren’t going to get better,” said Maren, who just accepted a full-time position with Tidewell. “But it’s so rewarding to know that I’m improving their quality of life. I feel truly honored that patients and families trust me to walk with them on this journey.”

Thanks to the Tidewell Nurse Residency Program, dedicated and compassionate individuals like Maren gain the skills to excel in a hospice role. To learn more about Tidewell’s Nurse Residency program and how you can help support the next generation of hospice nurses, visit TidewellFoundation.org.