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Rose Monahan Hospice Home RN Values Time with Patients, Families

When Amy Brassard, RN, BSN, CHPN, was a high school senior, she watched hospice nurses care for her grandfather at home.

She saw not only skilled hands at work, but also hearts that brought peace to an entire family. The experience left a lasting impression — a quiet conviction that everyone deserves to spend their final days in comfort and dignity.

Decades later, that belief would guide Amy to the Rose Monahan Hospice Home, where she now helps provide the same compassionate care that made such an impact on her own family.

Amy’s path to nursing began early. She started volunteering as a hospital “candy striper” at age 14 and by 16 had already decided that nursing was where she belonged. After graduating from nursing school, she spent her early career working in a variety of hospital departments, including medical-surgical, orthopedics, and burn trauma, before dedicating nearly three decades to emergency nursing.

Though her work in the emergency room was intense and life and death could unfold in minutes, Amy never lost sight of that early belief — that people should be able to spend their final days in comfort, surrounded by family. After the challenges of the pandemic, she felt drawn to return to the kind of care that had inspired her as a teenager — where nurses had the time to connect with their patients. A conversation with another nurse opened the door to a nursing career at the Rose Monahan Hospice Home, where terminally ill patients live and receive end-of-life care while loved ones are supported before and after their loss.

Amy finds enormous fulfillment in the time she can spend with each patient and family. “This is why I went to nursing school,” she said. “To have the time to make patients comfortable, to care for them, to support their families.”

The serene environment of the Rose Monahan Hospice Home enhances that sense of peace. Nestled beside Coes Pond, it feels far removed from the bustle of the City of Worcester. “It’s its own little island,” Amy said.

Families often pause in relief when they arrive, taking in the tranquil view from the front door and realizing the hospice residence feels like an actual home.

Amy is incredibly touched by the gratitude she sees in the families she helps. “It’s a gift to be able to give families the relief of knowing their loved one is being cared for,” she said. “Hospice is support and peace for the family during the final stages of their loved one’s illness, and comfort for the patient. Everyone facing a terminal illness should have the opportunity to be supported by hospice.”