Inside the Role of a Care Center Senior Staff Nurse

Audlyn Lord, R.N.

Audlyn Lord recently celebrated her 10th anniversary working for Suncoast Hospice. She has served as a senior staff nurse (SSN) at our Suncoast Hospice Care Center South Pinellas since it opened a year ago. She spends long, busy days on the floor seeing her patients and families and supervising the hospice aides. She’s the only SSN with direct patient care responsibilities.

“When I come in I receive a report from a registered nurse (RN) who’s here. Our care team has meetings to discuss each patient. I assess and reassess my patients and give them their medications. In between I counsel, supervise, provide support and do admissions,” Audlyn said.

Audlyn chats with Suncoast Hospice volunteer Suzanne Verhulst

Audlyn has also served as a SSN with a facility-based care team, was a RN with Suncoast Hospice Care Center Mid-Pinellas and worked on a home-based care team. She enjoys the smaller size of the South Pinellas Care Center and the close connection she makes with the people in her care.

“This care center is a very intimate setting with 12 patients. Sometimes in the hallway you see family members in tears and wanting to talk, so you stop and give them hugs and, if necessary, get the social workers or chaplains for them. Sometimes you go into patients’ rooms and there are six people inside, so you stay and chat. This is the most private time in their lives and you get to share that with them. That’s quite an honor,” she said.

Loving Her Life’s Work

Audlyn was born in the West Indies and lived in Canada for 30 years, where she helped start a palliative care team at a nursing home. She moved to Florida in 2000 and worked for one facility before coming on board with Suncoast Hospice. “This is what I was meant to do – take care of patients and their families through the dying process. I love what I do,” Audlyn said.

In her position she sees tremendous hope from hospice. “Isn’t the h in hospice for hope? Hope that you’ve made peace with your loved ones, hope that you’ve completed your bucket list, hope that you’ve accomplished whatever your dreams are,” she said.

Audlyn believes in spreading the word about hospice care; she has done an in-service on living wills at her church. “Especially in African–American communities, they hear the word hospice and they panic. Hospice is not only about death and dying. We must continue to educate people about everything that we have to offer,” she said.

Are you interested in a job at Suncoast Hospice? Check out our latest job listings. 

Providing Care and Support in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs)

Did you know Suncoast Hospice provides care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities (ALFs)? We value the partnerships we have with these local facilities allowing us to come in and provide hospice care where the patient is most comfortable.

Some of our hospice aides serve our patients and families in nursing homes and assisted living facilities (ALFs). They work together with Suncoast Hospice staff and facilities’ staff to provide care and support.

Cristina Diamantopoulos

Collaborating on Patient Care

Cristina Diamantopoulos is a hospice aide with one of our facility–based care teams. Cristina loves working for Suncoast Hospice and the team collaboration in caring for her patients and families.

“Suncoast Hospice’s care for patients and support to families are wonderful and I’m lucky to be part of it. As a certified nursing assistant (CNA), I work closely with a Suncoast Hospice nurse who is assigned to a nursing home or ALF. The nurse, the facility and I build a relationship and work collectively to serve our patients,” Cristina said.

She added how everyone is involved in the care planning. “We have care plan meetings with the facilities and family members to discuss the best courses of action and how we may assist in care. We must keep the lines of communication open so we can respond to patients as their health and needs change. We always support the choices of the patients, families and facilities. It’s all about the patients and doing what’s beneficial for them to improve their quality of life.”

Carol Hogan

Working Together to Support Patients & Families

Carol Hogan, another facility–based care team hospice aide and CNA, enjoys the connection she has with her patients and families and the facilities’ staff.

“I’m greeted with smiles and warmth when walking into a nursing home or ALF that partners with Suncoast Hospice. The staff always is ready and willing to assist with our patients’ needs and inform us of any changes in their health. A bond is created with the patients, hospice aides and facility aides,” Carol said.

Carol said her patients and families receive lots of support. “Families benefit from the entire Suncoast Hospice care teams including our chaplains, volunteers and other team members. All the right people work together to care for our patients and families. We all want the same things for them – love, kindness, comfort and peace of mind.”

Has someone you know received care by one of our hospice aides in an ALF or nursing home? Please share your story.