A Salute to an Unsung Hero: The Hospice Nursing Assistant

The purpose of this article is to explore the power of the role of the Nursing Assistant within the Hospice Interdisciplinary Team, and the impact of certification on the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant specialty. This manuscript is also interspersed with real-life stories from the staff of Forbes Hospice, located in Pittsburgh, PA. The identification of patients within the life stories has been changed to provide anonymity.