Assistant Director of Nursing
Our Lady of Peace Hospice Residence
Denise Borglund always knew she wanted to be a nurse. She remembers her grandmother reading her favorite book, Nurse Nancy, to her as a child, and as a child, she realized she loved caring for people. What she didn’t know at the time was hospice nursing would be her calling.
The journey towards a career in nursing began for Denise at Rasmussen College, where she studied to become a registered nurse (RN). She was assigned to do her clinical work in the Our Lady of Peace Hospice Residence, while at the same time, working in the occupational medicine clinic at 3M. Upon completion of her clinicals, the young student took a position as a casual nurse, working shifts as needed, while working full-time at 3M.
After two years of realizing she loves hospice care, Denise accepted a full-time position as an admitting nurse in the hospice residence. She earned her bachelor’s degree (BSN) and spent some time working in the hospice community before becoming Assistant Director of Nursing.
Believing the most important part of nursing is supporting patients and families in all settings, Denise says, “This is the part I love and it feels natural to me. Hospice is such an important part of a person’s journey through life, and I like supporting and educating families through it, with the dignity of my patients in mind.” Denise is happy that she and her colleagues can be with a patient when their family can’t. “We are always here for them.”
These are not just words to Denise. She was there for a patient who now holds a special place in her heart. “I took care of him when I worked in the community and realized that he didn’t have a lot of outside support, so we moved him to the residence. For the first time in his life, this person felt cared for, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I think about him every day because it was such a rewarding experience.”
Giving the gift of hospice allows Denise to accommodate the dying wishes of her patients. Sometimes it involves arranging for a special person to be at their bedside or arranging a final conversation with a loved one. Whatever it is, she says, “We try to accommodate it to make the end of their life as beautiful as possible.”
Hospice care is not always easy, but Denise says she can’t imagine doing anything else. “I believe in the mission of Our Lady of Peace, and it keeps me going.”