As nurses in the hospice De Regenboog in Eindhoven, 24-year-old Jule Tuerlings and 26-year-old Janneke Rooijakkers guide people in the final phase of their lives every day. They often receive surprised reactions to this. For example, peers are busy with completely different things and older colleagues wonder whether the women do not want to celebrate life.
In a wooded area on the Eikenburg estate in Eindhoven, Jule and Janneke have been working as hospice nurses for four years. The two women support patients and their families during the final phase, which often creates space to look back on someone’s life.
Special Bond
“It’s very special how quickly you build a bond with people here”, says Janneke. But, it is that bond that makes work extra difficult. “Sometimes patients or family members cannot yet accept that someone is dying. Then you listen carefully to someone because you cannot take away or solve the fears”, says Jule.
Take home
It becomes extra difficult when the nurses come across a family that is similar to their own. Engaging in frequent conventions with colleagues, friends, and family helps.
Nonetheless, the hospice experiences are occasionally taken back home. Jule finds it acceptable. The same has happened to the other nurses.
Janneke recalls an instance when she was at a festival but still preoccupied with a patient whose pain they couldn’t alleviate in the afternoon. She even logged into the system on her phone while sitting at a picnic table, slightly intoxicated, to check if the patient had improved. Fortunately, he had. Older colleagues often ask the nurses whether they’d prefer celebrating life over working in a hospice.
Appreciation
Jule appreciates life more because of her work. The hospice serves as a daily reminder that life can be fleeting. “The nurses receive abundant appreciation for their efforts, as evidenced by the thank-you cards from families displayed on a table.”
Concerns
The women would like to work in the hospice until they retire, but they also have concerns. “Due to the pressure from hospitals, sometimes people come here who don’t die within three months. Then we have to send them home,” says Jule. “Those are the most difficult conversations”. In addition, due to budget cuts, they have to do more with fewer people. “Then sometimes you can’t give someone the care they deserve”, says Jule.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
