Frequently Asked Questions
The following are questions I am asked frequently about the differences between
a nurse and a doula for the dying who is also a nurse.
(Most doulas for the dying, outside hospice, are not nurses)
Q. Do you have to be a nurse to be a doula or midwife to the dying?
A. No. Most are not. We all serve in various capacities based on our skills and focus. When you are interviewing people, you will know if you want them with you or not.
Q. Why would we want a doula who is also a nurse?
A. Even though the essence of the midwife and doula is emotional, practical and spiritual support, some people may want her to be medically trained as well. The disease process your loved one is facing may be difficult and you may find comfort in additional medical support, guidance and education. She is also there to make sure you understand the disease process and what is happening and what can be done as your loved one is dying. She is an adjunct to your hospice team.
Q. Does the nurse doula take the place of the hospice nurse?
A. No. They fulfill two different roles. The doula is your personal support for your family, your personal advocate. She works with your hospice team; she doesn't take the place of it. The hospice nurse has time constraints and service boundaries that must be adhered to due to agency policy. The nurse doula does not have these constraints and is able to spend the time and serve your family how you want and need. The boundaries that are in place for the hospice nurse are non-existent for the nurse doula. Your nurse doula can assist you with complicated bedside care and in general educate and guide you throughout the process medically as well.She is reinforcing the information and teaching you are receiving from your hospice team.
General Questions regarding doulas/midwives to the dying
Q. At what point during our loved ones illness do we contact a doula?
A. Whenever you realize that you would like more support and are feeling confused or overwhelmed. Most people bring the doula in during the last days when death is fast approaching. An experienced doula is a knowledgeable, stabilizing and nurturing presence and you can bring her in at any point in the process when your loved one has a terminal diagnosis. It simply depends on how much support you would like.
Q. Is there a certification for midwives and doulas to the dying whether or not they are nurses?
A. No there is no State, National or International certification process or governing body. The way most doulas make their way into this field is through volunteering at a local hospice or finding their natural gifts for assisting the dying through personal circumstances.
The best training ground for a doula who is also a nurse is training in the very specialized field of hospice and palliative nursing. There, a nurse is trained in all the faces of dying a natural death in the home setting, regardless from which disease a person is dying. Death is very different at home than in the hospital; high tech interventions tend to create cascading events, whereby one thing leads to another. When you interview your doula, you will find out if she has the medical experience you desire.
Basically a doula gives you very personalized assistance during the dying of a loved one. The amount
of time spent with you and the type of service are dependent on your needs and the focus of the doula you
are considering, not on anything or anyone else.
A. No. Most are not. We all serve in various capacities based on our skills and focus. When you are interviewing people, you will know if you want them with you or not.
Q. Why would we want a doula who is also a nurse?
A. Even though the essence of the midwife and doula is emotional, practical and spiritual support, some people may want her to be medically trained as well. The disease process your loved one is facing may be difficult and you may find comfort in additional medical support, guidance and education. She is also there to make sure you understand the disease process and what is happening and what can be done as your loved one is dying. She is an adjunct to your hospice team.
Q. Does the nurse doula take the place of the hospice nurse?
A. No. They fulfill two different roles. The doula is your personal support for your family, your personal advocate. She works with your hospice team; she doesn't take the place of it. The hospice nurse has time constraints and service boundaries that must be adhered to due to agency policy. The nurse doula does not have these constraints and is able to spend the time and serve your family how you want and need. The boundaries that are in place for the hospice nurse are non-existent for the nurse doula. Your nurse doula can assist you with complicated bedside care and in general educate and guide you throughout the process medically as well.She is reinforcing the information and teaching you are receiving from your hospice team.
General Questions regarding doulas/midwives to the dying
Q. At what point during our loved ones illness do we contact a doula?
A. Whenever you realize that you would like more support and are feeling confused or overwhelmed. Most people bring the doula in during the last days when death is fast approaching. An experienced doula is a knowledgeable, stabilizing and nurturing presence and you can bring her in at any point in the process when your loved one has a terminal diagnosis. It simply depends on how much support you would like.
Q. Is there a certification for midwives and doulas to the dying whether or not they are nurses?
A. No there is no State, National or International certification process or governing body. The way most doulas make their way into this field is through volunteering at a local hospice or finding their natural gifts for assisting the dying through personal circumstances.
The best training ground for a doula who is also a nurse is training in the very specialized field of hospice and palliative nursing. There, a nurse is trained in all the faces of dying a natural death in the home setting, regardless from which disease a person is dying. Death is very different at home than in the hospital; high tech interventions tend to create cascading events, whereby one thing leads to another. When you interview your doula, you will find out if she has the medical experience you desire.
Basically a doula gives you very personalized assistance during the dying of a loved one. The amount
of time spent with you and the type of service are dependent on your needs and the focus of the doula you
are considering, not on anything or anyone else.
