Beverly Miller, RN is a Hospice Nurse for the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis (VNA). As a Hospice Nurse, she’s focused on making patients feel comfortable, respected and at peace with the decisions being made regarding their end-of-life care, all while working on a team of dedicated doctors, social workers and other staff she’s proud to call teammates.
She began her nursing career working at two hospitals, filling different roles. At St. Luke’s Hospital she was an LPN, and at Barnes-Jewish Hospital she served as a RN, working on the liver and kidney transplant floor. She enjoyed the diverse responsibilities of her roles, and she learned something new everyday. “I really had to apply myself even more to the work and quickly adapt to whatever the environment needed,” says Beverly. “I didn’t think about it much; I just adjusted to what needed to be done.”
Beverly worked at Barnes-Jewish for 17 years, after which she retired in early 2019. She didn’t necessarily want to retire, but was burnt out from the stresses of working in a hospital. However, in spring of 2021, she decided to go back to work, and after talking to a previous coworker from Barnes-Jewish, decided to apply at VNA.
As a hospice nurse, Beverly gets the distinct pleasure of visiting patients, her favorite part of her job. “I love hearing about the times they’ve experienced,” says Beverly. “It’s amazing to hear them reflect on their lives, and they’re good stories for me to listen to and reflect on as well. I learn from them, and it’s just good for them to talk. It’s good therapy for them too.”
Beverly enjoys the team culture at VNA and in the hospice program. “We work together to make a care plan, and then we follow up on it and follow through on it,” says Beverly. “I think that’s an important part of being a team player in hospice: we come together and listen to everyone’s opinions and suggestions, but we’re all on the same team. It’s not about us but always about the patient.”
VNA is thankful for Beverly’s commitment to being a part of their team and going the extra mile to make patients feel heard and cared for in their last moments through her compassion and heart.
