Nancy Washko Named Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing Assistant of the Year

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Hospice Nursing Assistant Nancy Washko has been named Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing Assistant of the Year by the Hospice and Palliative Care Credentialing Center, the organization that provides specialty certification to 15,500 healthcare professionals nationwide. Nancy joined Hospice of the Western Reserve (HWR) in 2014.

“From the moment Nancy interviewed for the position, it was clear that she had a heart for hospice,” said Lisa Carrigan Tomm, RN, BSN, clinical team leader. “She serves as a wonderful mentor and role model for our new Hospice Nursing Assistants. She shows them that what matters the most is making the best of every single day the patient has left.”  

“When I think of a person I want caring for me at my end of life, I see Nancy Washko,” added HWR social worker Julia Wasilewski. “She is loved by so many for her calming and compassionate demeanor. She is a wonderful listener and many of our patients and family members feel comforted by her willingness to provide supportive presence and validation.“

Some of the most touching comments come from a Cleveland man, who had been married nearly 50 years. He reflected on the exceptional care provided to his beloved wife, who had been coping with a dual diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Myeloma:

“Nancy shared with me that she had spent many years working in another profession. Then, her mother became ill, and ended up in hospice. When Nancy witnessed how lovingly the nursing assistants cared for her mother, she knew that she had received a calling to do the same for others. She not only does everything the nursing assistants are paid to do, thoroughly and tenderly, but she does it with a spirit of sacredness,” he said. “Her example communicates an expression of love for the value and dignity of life.”

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