Hospice News
 Monmouth County, NJ -- Jenifer McEwan, RN, BSN, CHPN, director of the Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center at Monmouth Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, was named Nurse of the Year during the 2011 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes awards program held Tuesday, June 21, at The Palace in Somerset Park in Somerset, NJ.The Healthcare Heroes awards program recognizes excellence and innovation and honors individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of healthcare in New Jersey.
Ms. McEwan, a resident of Brick, began her career with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System in 1997 as a home care/hospice nurse. “As a hospice nurse Jenifer brought her keen intellect and compassion for the dying together,” says Patricia Murray, Vice President of Human Resources and Volunteer Services, Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Centers. “She was quick to assess the patients’ needs and make sure their symptoms, from pain to fear of the unknown, were addressed.”
Ms. McEwan was soon promoted to the role of Admissions Nurse, explaining the hospice program and process to patients and families entering the program, and then moved on to become director of the inpatient hospice unit at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. In 2008, she took the lead as director of Hospice Services at Monmouth Medical Center.
When asked what the biggest challenge is being a hospice nurse, Ms. McEwan replied, “At times this job can be very sad. When patients and families make the decision to come on hospice it is difficult. As a nurse, you gain trust and have empathy towards them and you can not help but to feel their sadness at times. What helps me overcome it? Appreciating what I have and realizing that life is a precious gift.”
For more information about the Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center at Monmouth Medical Center, please call 973-322-4800 or visit www.barnabashealthhospice.org.
Date: June 22, 2011
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