Blessing Hospice nurse earns national certification from Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

QUINCY — Melinda Thompson with Blessing Hospice has earned Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse status by meeting the requirements of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, including passing an examination.

While licensure as a registered nurse assures minimal competency to practice in a field, certification indicates mastery of a defined body of knowledge and demonstrates the highest level of competency for hospice nurses.

Nearly 1.6 million hospice registered nurses are employed in the United States. Less than 1 percent of those have obtained certification.

Thompson, a resident of Golden, is a 10-year member of the Blessing Hospice staff, member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association and National Hospice and Palliative Care organization.

Blessing Hospice provides nationally accredited, end-of-life care to the terminally ill and their loved ones, including pain and symptom control, emotional and spiritual support. Care is delivered in the west central Illinois counties of Adams, Brown, Hancock, Pike and portions of Henderson in a patient’s home, the home of a loved one or in a long-term care facility that contracts with Blessing Hospice.