Something to Think About

a blog on end of life

We love sharing helpful info on our blog.

About the BK Team
A Hospice With Integrity by Barbara Karnes, RN

Be the best hospice you can possibly be, provide the highest quality of care with the most compassionate, caring staff your area has to offer. Build a reputation within the...

The Balancing Act of Caring for the Dying by Barbara Karnes, RN

For healthcare professionals it is often a balancing act to care for patients and then deal with the sense of futility that is triggered when they are doing their job...

DYING Young or Old, The Signs Are The Same by Barbara Karnes, RN

There are other signs of approaching death that indicate a person with a disease (at any age) has weeks to live...

Nursing Home Blues, Part 2 by Barbara Karnes, RN

...Fortunately, I suppose, my mother is now bed-bound and we were able toget Hospice to help out, so she now fits the bill for a 'model patient'... but itstill seems...

Grief During the Last Stages of His Life

From the moment of a diagnosis of a life threatening illness we begin grieving. We grieve not just the eventual losses that come with serious illness but the approaching death...

How Do I Pick A Good Hospice? by Barbara Karnes, RN  www.bkbooks.com

There have been many changes in hospice care since it began. Some for the better, some not so much. What I am suggesting as representing a “good” hospice is becoming...

Telling A Loved One They're Dying by Barbara Karnes, RN www.bkbooks.com

...not telling a person they can’t be fixed is taking away their opportunity to do and say that which is important to them. It is taking away their ability to...

Hospice Middle Management & Oreo Cookies by Barbara Karnes, RN www.bkbooks.com

Many years ago I attended a workshop at The Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. The topic was about when a clinician enters the administration work field. I don’t remember much...

Support For A Hospice Nurse Who is Yelled At

Most families are stressed, tempers can flare, nerves get frayed. It is up to us, as professionals, to use our communication skills to ease the tensions...

Caring for the Alzheimer's Patient

Living with someone who has dementia is a daily challenge. It requires the constant reminder that this person is not who they once were. It presents the challenge of learning...

Barbara Karnes, RN speaks to the question, "Do people really die of a broken heart?"

I know “dying of a broken heart” is used frequently when death comes as a result of a tragic life event. I’m not sure that is actually why the person...

American Hospice Pioneer, Barbara Karnes, RN writes ideas for best practices for new hospice nurses as they care for the dying. www.bkbooks.com

If you teach your families well about the approaching end of life there will be no problems with them understanding the labor of dying. Having someone you care about dying is...

A Hospice Nurse's Frustration article by End of Life Author, Barbara Karnes, RN

Hi Nurse G,I think hospice care and the role nurses play has changed considerably and wonder if that is why you are not feeling the fulfillment you once did. Over...

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