Mary McCammant, RN, Earns Hospice Certification

Mahaska Health Partnership congratulates Hospice Services Patient Care Coordinator Mary McCammant, RN, for passing the Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Exam.

“Obtaining this certification is not easy and demonstrates Mary’s ongoing commitment to the quality of care provided to our patients,” MHP Director of Hospice Services Kim Lambert said.

Awarded by the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses, in order to be eligible for certification, a registered Nurse must meet the core curriculum requirements and have at least two years of hospice experience. “The final step for obtaining certification was a three-hour exam,” McCammant said. “Earning this credential has been a goal of mine for a long time.”

McCammant began her nursing career on Inpatient Services at MHP in 1994. She left briefly in 2000, only to return eight months later in a supervisory role before joining hospice in 2004. “I always appreciated the way hospice nurses cared for patients on our Inpatient Unit, and I wanted a new challenge,” McCammant said of the transition.

McCammant said she finds great fulfillment from her work through the patients and families she meets. “People often tell hospice nurses they are special but I don’t think they realize how special they are to us. I am honored to help fulfill my patients’ and their families’ wishes during such an important time in their life.”

As the Patient Care Coordinator for MHP Hospice Services, McCammant is responsible for contacting new patients and completing admissions. “I get to meet with every patient and family we care for. As their first contact with Mahaska Hospice, I get to introduce them to the special personalized care and attention our patients can expect from us.”

By earning her new certification, McCammant said it has increased her knowledge of how to better care for patients. “This has given me extra training in the specialty of hospice and additional tools related to intensive pain management and symptom control.”

For more information about how MHP Hospice Services is making healthcare personal, visit mahaskahealth.org or call 641-672-3260.