For Nurses Week, The Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program (IONRP) aired a special episode of their Beyond Nurse Residency podcast featuring three program coordinators and their residents who utilize IONRP’s all-online option, sharing their experiences and insights into the residency program.

While the entire episode is informative and powerful, of particular interest is the last 20 minutes of the program (beginning at 31:50) which features Hospice Nurse Resident Katrina Hess and TRU Clinical Education Supervisor and On-Site Coordinator for the IONRP Rachel Stackhouse.

During the interview, Katrina and Rachel discuss how TRU Community Care has pioneered something remarkable – a new graduate nurse residency program in hospice care. Rachel explains how TRU didn’t even hire new graduate nurses until partnering with IONRP in 2022, and how they’ve built a comprehensive year-long program that combines the Iowa curriculum with specialized hospice training, including ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) and NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthcare Elders) certifications.

Katrina shares her journey as a new nurse in hospice, including how the program normalized the challenges of transitioning from nursing school to professional practice. She highlights the invaluable support from Rachel, describing how their monthly meetings and regular check-ins help connect theoretical concepts to the unique hospice setting while providing emotional support through the intense experiences of working with end-of-life care.

Perhaps most compelling is Rachel’s insight about the “Grow or Go” phase that occurs around months 6-9 for new hospice nurses – a critical decision point when nurses must process their experiences with death, suffering, and the emotional weight of hospice care, choosing whether to develop resilience or change paths. As the podcast reveals, TRU’s thoughtful implementation of the IONRP has created a supportive environment where new graduates can thrive in this specialized field, ultimately benefiting not just the organization but the nursing profession as a whole.

Listen to the Beyond Nurse Residency podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts.

After graduating nursing school in 2008, Alexis cared for neuro and ortho patients and worked in travel nursing before taking an extraordinary path—pursuing self-care and meditation practices, eventually becoming a temporary nun at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Canada.

“When COVID hit in 2020, I realized I had a skill-set that would allow me to be of help,” Alexis shares. This calling brought her back to nursing, first at Boulder Community Hospital’s Oncology unit, and eventually to TRU in July 2023.

Her Buddhist background uniquely prepared her for hospice work. “Tibetan Buddhists have a saying, ‘think about death five times a day and you’ll be happy.’ This attitude, coupled with witnessing many oncology patients scared to die, ultimately led me to hospice care.”

At TRU, Alexis finds deep meaning in supporting patients during their final journey. “We are with patients and families for a very specific sliver of their lives—filled with sadness, appreciation for life, fear, and fearlessness. Facades usually drop in the face of terminal illness. I truly honor these moments.”

“It is a privilege to do this work and be present for our community members in this way. I love my job with TRU, and I hope to continue it long into the future.”

Thank you, Alexis, for bringing your compassion and unique perspective to our TRU family!

 

For nearly two decades, our TRU Thrift Shop has been weaving together three important threads: environmental sustainability, community service, and funding for compassionate care. For Earth Week (April 21-27), we’re excited to highlight how these threads come together to create something truly special in our Boulder community.

Earth Week Special: Donate & Save

This Earth Week, TRU Thrift Shop is offering a special “Donate & Save” initiative. When you bring in gently used items on our donation days (Wednesday 4/23, Friday 4/25, and Saturday 4/26), you’ll receive a voucher for 25% off a future day of shopping. It’s our way of saying “thank you” for supporting both our environment and our mission.

“Our commitment extends even beyond raising funds for compassionate care—we’re equally dedicated to environmental stewardship,” explains Lynn McCullough, TRU Thrift Shop Manager. “Earth Week provides the perfect opportunity to showcase how second-hand shopping supports both our community and our planet.”

Beyond Selling: Our Sustainability Mission

What many shoppers might not realize is just how far our commitment to sustainability extends. TRU Thrift Shop has developed an extensive network of community partnerships ensuring that nearly every donation finds its best possible second life.

At the heart of these efforts is TRU Thrift’s “Giving Room,” a dedicated space where volunteers carefully sort items that cannot be sold in-store but still have tremendous value. Through thoughtful partnerships with local organizations, these items are redirected to serve community needs:

• Sheets find new purpose at The Natural Funeral for their green burial services and at Faith Community Church as backings for quilts donated to people in need
• Baby clothes are shared with Gabriel House to support families
• Shoes go to Haven Ridge and Deacon’s Closet, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness
• Towels and toiletries make their way to All Roads (formerly the Boulder Shelter)
• Children’s books bring joy through Sister Carmen

Creative Repurposing at Work

TRU Thrift Shop volunteers are constantly finding innovative ways to give items new life. Some of their creative repurposing efforts have included:

• Selling t-shirts at a discount to groups who transform them into reusable shopping bags
• Denim has been repurposed as cabin insulation
• Towels and rags find new purpose in cleaning services for underserved communities, restaurant kitchens, and even as packing for punching bags and homes for feral rabbits

We also maintain a robust recycling program for materials that can’t be reused. Our dedicated volunteers regularly transport:

• Batteries, electronics, glassware, ceramics, and light bulbs to CHaRM
• Polystyrene and plastic bags to Eco Cycle
• Medical supplies and equipment to Good Health Will in Loveland

A Triple Bottom Line

When you shop at or donate to TRU Thrift Shop, you’re supporting a triple bottom line:

1. Environmental impact: Reducing waste and giving items a second life
2. Community benefit: Supporting local organizations serving those in need
3. Compassionate care: Funding TRU Community Care’s essential end-of-life and supportive care services

In 2024, TRU Thrift Shop exceeded $1 million in revenue, with half directly funding the essential services that TRU Community Care provides to our neighbors.

“Every item donated or purchased represents a step toward a more sustainable future,” says McCullough. “We’re grateful to our community for supporting our dual mission of funding compassionate care while reducing waste.”

Visit Us This Earth Week

We invite you to visit TRU Thrift Shop during Earth Week, whether you’re dropping off donations, shopping for treasures, or simply curious about our sustainability initiatives. Our team is always happy to share more about our work and the impact it makes.

TRU Thrift Shop – TRUcare.org/thrift
Address: 5565 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80303
Phone: (303) 604-5353
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm
Special Earth Week Donation Days: Wednesday 4/23, Friday 4/25, and Saturday 4/26

 

Veterans from various eras of military service gathered Tuesday at Boulder’s Frasier Retirement Community for a special Military Recognition Ceremony and Vietnam Veterans Commemoration. The April 1st event, co-presented by Frasier and TRU Community Care, provided a long-overdue welcome home to Vietnam-era veterans while honoring all who have served in the United States military.

The ceremony opened with a presentation of colors by the American Legion Post 32 Honor Guard. Scott Pastor, an Air Force veteran and TRU nurse, led the opening remarks with a powerful message to veterans: “You are not forgotten. You are seen and your service is remembered with gratitude and respect.”

During the recognition of veterans, Pastor noted that there are more than 18 million living veterans in the United States today, representing about 6% of the country’s adult population. The ceremony honored veterans from all branches of service, with special recognition given to veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era.

The event placed particular emphasis on Vietnam-era veterans, who make up 30% of all veterans today. Gene Schiferl, a Vietnam War combat veteran who served in 1967-68 and experienced the Tet Offensive, led the Vietnam Veteran Commemoration pinning.

“It was not popular during the Vietnam War era to be in the military,” Schiferl explained. “One of the most tragic legacies… was the mistreatment that many Vietnam veterans received upon their return to this country.”

In a segment called “Echoes of Service,” Army veteran and medic Larry Sturgeon shared personal experiences from his time serving during the Vietnam era. Sturgeon recalled his basic training at Fort Bliss and his service at a hospital in Japan where wounded service members were sent. He spoke candidly about the difficult homecoming many Vietnam veterans faced.

“Many people realized that we weren’t really accomplishing anything, and the price we were paying was just too great. Unfortunately, they got the war confused with the warriors, and many of my fellow veterans were seriously mistreated on the way home.”

Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett offered heartfelt words of appreciation on behalf of the community. The Mayor also highlighted TRU Community Care’s involvement with the VCP Village in Longmont, a tiny home community for veterans experiencing homelessness. “This gets them off the street. It gets them into their own house with a door that they can close and lock and a place for them to live and recover from the wounds that they’ve experienced, whether those were physical, mental, or any other kind,” Brockett explained.

Another highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of honor quilts by Bee Sew Brave, a group associated with the Longmont Quilt Guild. “Our quilts are made with a lot of love, and when we present them, we present them with that love and a hug. And we hope you take that with you wherever you go,” said a representative from the group prior to presenting special quilts to three World War II veterans in attendance.

The quilt guild’s ongoing mission includes providing quilts for veterans moving into VCP tiny homes and for wounded warriors participating in adaptive winter sports programs in Estes Park.

“Last year, we gave away 50 quilts to veterans,” the Bee Sew Brave representative shared. “Every time we get asked to come and work with the Honor Guard, it’s amazing. We meet amazing people. We hear amazing stories. We hear a lot of healing from our quilts, the stories that we get back from veterans that has helped them.”

The ceremony aligned with Colorado’s Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, established in 2021 and observed on March 30th, which gives Americans the opportunity to say “welcome home” to Vietnam veterans who may not have received proper recognition upon their return.

TRU Community Care, founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, is a five-star-level hospice in the National Alliance for Care at Home We Honor Veterans program, created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

February 20, 2025

On a snowy Colorado evening, more than 70 community members came out to gather at Unity Columbine Spiritual Center in Boulder for TRU Community Care’s annual Lights of Life Remembrance Service. Despite the winter chill outside, the atmosphere inside was filled with warmth, compassion, and the soft glow of candlelight as attendees came together to honor and remember loved ones who have passed.

A Sacred Space for Remembrance

Kathryn Messman, Support Services Manager at TRU Grief Services, welcomed attendees with a powerful reminder about the nature of grief and the importance of coming together:

“The journey of grief can be confusing. In one moment there can be sadness and yearning for our loved ones, while the next can be full of rich memories, feelings of gratitude, and the chance to connect with the love we have experienced with those we have lost.”

The evening created a space for attendees to acknowledge their grief while also celebrating the memories of those they’ve lost. As Messman noted, “Coming together with people who truly understand loss and who want to incorporate their deep losses into this moment of remembrance is a wonderful and precious gift to ourselves and each other.”

Ceremony of Light

One of the evening’s most moving moments was the Ceremony of Light, led by Grief Counselor Joan Hummel. Each attendee held an unlit candle, representing the darkness of grief, before illuminating it to symbolize memories, love, and courage.

“The pain of our loss may be intense, but it reminds us of the depth of our love,” Hummel shared as attendees contemplated their unlit candles.

As candles flickered throughout the room, Hummel guided participants to “look deeply into the light of your candle and imagine all of those precious ways and times that are embodied in the light.” This powerful visual metaphor helped attendees connect with their memories and find comfort in shared experience.

Sharing Stories

During the “Remembering” portion of the service, attendees were invited to share brief stories about their loved ones. These moments of personal testimony filled the room with tears, laughter, and the beautiful complexity of human connection that continues even after death.

Moving Forward with Hope

As the evening concluded, Messman offered a blessing for all in attendance:

“May the sources of our strength, visible and invisible, bless and protect us when our hearts are broken open. May we find within ourselves the fortitude to live well as a blessing for those who have gone before us.”

TRU’s Lights of Life Remembrance Service reminds us that while grief is intensely personal, we don’t have to bear it alone. In coming together to honor our loved ones, we create community, find strength, and discover that even in our darkest moments, light can be found.

TRU Grief Services offers counseling and support groups to meet the many unique ways that people grieve. For more information about these services, call TRU Grief Services directly at (303) 604-5300 or visit TRUcare.org/grief.

TRU Community Care wishes to thank the staff and volunteers who helped make this event possible, with a special thank you to harpist Joan Hundhausen, whose beautiful melodies set the tone for the evening.

We’d also like to thank our sponsors for supporting this event: Unity Columbine Spiritual Center, Horan and McConaty, Kelly and Gregg Rogers, Jim Topping in Memory of Carolyn Topping, and Family Tree Private Care.

Virtual reality (VR) has been a part of the world since the 1950s but didn’t make its way into commercial video games until the mid-1990s. Since then, VR has exploded into many different uses, not just for gaming but also for learning. During the height of COVID, nursing schools began to find a new method for training their students that did not rely so heavily on traditional bedside experiences. Before the pandemic, only 65% of nursing schools used VR training, but now it has become mainstream ¹. There are many reasons for this growth in VR, one of which has to do with the nursing shortage. The United States alone needs 350,000 new nurses to fill direct patient care roles, and that’s a conservative estimate². How is the industry to train that volume and then retain those nurses once they enter the field? Many believe VR to be a promising tool that will allow for this growth. And while nursing schools are growing their VR labs, TRU Community Care is stepping into the proverbial ring to offer continuity between nursing school education and bedside practice. 

 TRU Community Care is one of the few hospice organizations that will hire new graduate nurses and support them through their first year of practice with our nurse residency program. Part of that support includes virtual reality simulations, for our own staff along with other new graduates from around the country. The beauty of VR is that the shared lab can be accessed from any location, giving us the opportunity to partner with other organizations. All of TRU’s clinical staff were introduced to VR in 2024, and our use of VR training will continue to grow as an evidence-based tool. There is significant data to back up the use of VR as a superior learning method. From increasing knowledge at a rapid rate to integrating social-emotional memories, VR labs have demonstrated their value in learning. So, let’s take a look at the evidence base. 

 A study in 2018 by Lamb et al.³ compared VR simulation with using video content and hands-on activities. They measured learning outcomes and neural activation through the different groups. Results found that those in the VR group had better learning outcomes (did better on their test scores) and had higher rates of neural activation during the simulation than those who watched a 2-D video education. The brain activity for those in the VR group during the simulation was equivalent to that experienced by a person doing a hands-on activity. This means that from a neurobiological lens, VR is comparable to actually having the real experience. 

 As a healthcare educator, I can simulate all kinds of situations and not put a real person at risk of a poor outcome. My students have the chance to think critically, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes without an adverse event for a live patient. It also allows for situations that students may not encounter by chance during their training. For example, our nurses often want training on attending a death visit in hospice, but death doesn’t always happen when a new nurse is on the clock. With VR, we can simulate a death visit and allow for learning to be just as effective as having had the real experience. 

 This is the pedagogical rationale behind using VR simulations. Often there is a mismatch between theoretical knowledge about a topic (e.g., the steps to accessing a subcutaneous port) and the procedural knowledge related to the topic (e.g., actually using the port to give medications). Since there is often limited time to train a new nurse (related to the nursing shortage mentioned above), nurses often get one chance to practice the procedure in orientation before being expected to perform it in a competent manner. With VR, we can practice accessing the port over and over until the nurse is confident in their procedural knowledge. 

 While there are many studies related to this topic, there is one more that is particularly thorough and relevant. Pande et al. explored the long-term effectiveness of VR to get a sense of how VR training sticks with a person, compared to video instruction⁴. The pre-test given to the two groups (VR group and video group) showed the video group had better pre-knowledge of the topic. After the learning intervention, the first post-test showed the VR group had a slightly higher understanding of the topic. Post-test 2 occurred two days later and showed similar levels of understanding between the groups. The final post-test occurred five days later, and the VR group had retained more of the information. In total, the non-VR group experienced nearly a 10% knowledge increase using video instruction, while the VR group experienced a 30% knowledge increase. This is significant because often students will understand a topic taught but easily forget the information afterward. The saying “live and learn” makes sense here; the experiences you have in life will teach you lessons far faster than hearing someone else tell you about it. This is exactly what VR is tapping into. 

 The second part of the Pande et al. study was related to the enjoyment of learning. Their students reported more enjoyment in learning using VR than the video group, who reported feelings of boredom. This makes sense; it’s easy to be engaged in learning when you are in the center of the experience, rather than just observing something. If you are interested in this topic, I’d encourage you to read the full study yourself, cited below. 

 No research is deemed valuable without an honest look at the limitations of what is being studied, and for VR education, the limitation lies in logistics. Software is pricey and hardware is temperamental. Aside from the technology requirements, running a VR simulation requires skilled educators who can run the pre-brief, simulation, and debrief in a way that facilitates learning, allows for mistakes, and encourages the group to critically think through the simulation. 

In 2024, TRU Community Care navigated many of these hurdles and is in the process of partnering with other organizations in supporting their new graduate nurses using VR. Our sights are set on developing a VR lab where our clinicians can learn simultaneously, our clinical educators can facilitate groups across the country, and at the end of the day, our patients can receive exceptional care from highly skilled clinicians. 

 

Sources: 

1.  Virtual reality in nursing education goes mainstream. Wolters Kluwer. (2023, March 28). https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/virtual-reality-in-education-goes-mainstream 
2. Berlin, G., Lapointe, M., Murphy, M., & Wexler, J. (2022, May 11). Assessing the lingering impact of covid-19 on the nursing workforce. McKinsey & Company.  https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/assessing-the-lingering-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-nursing-workforce
3. Lamb, R., et al., (2018) ‘Comparison of virtual reality and hands on activities in science education via functional near infrared spectroscopy’, Computers & Education, vol. 124, pp. 14–26. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2018.05.014 
4. Pandea, P., Thit, A., Sørensen, A. E., Mojsoska, B., Moeller, M. E., & Jepsen, P. M. (2021, January 18). Long-term effectiveness of immersive VR simulations in undergraduate science learning: lessons from a media-comparison study.     https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1293535.pdf 

Our seventh annual TRU Cares Fundraising Luncheon, presented this year by Frasier, took place last week at Frasier in Boulder, where nearly 200 individuals – TRU leadership, staff, volunteers, board members, and friends and partners in the community – came together for an afternoon of gratitude, storytelling, and remembrance of those we have lost.

This year’s theme, “Innovate for Impact: Progress and Possibilities,” reflects the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape and represents TRU’s commitment to growth and to continually improving the lives of those we serve. In the words of President and CEO Scott Gresser, “We believe that by embracing innovation, driving progress, and exploring new possibilities, we can elevate the standard of care and reach more people.”

Chief Operating Officer Jim Woodard showcased Innovation at TRU in a keynote presentation highlighting, among other things, our work in telemedicine, use of predictive analytics, and our enhanced educational efforts using virtual reality.

Thanks to generous contributions from sponsors and attendees, including matching gifts totaling $50,000 from the Anderson Family Foundation and Bob von Eschen Sr. and Jr, our TRU Cares Fundraising Luncheon generated nearly $140,000 to support the vital services, including:

• Hospice care for the uninsured and those who are homeless in our community
• Grief support for anyone in the community coping with the loss of a loved one
• Palliative care for improved pain and symptom management
• Inpatient and respite care at our Care Center

Thank you again to our sponsors, donors, founders, board members, volunteers, staff, advisory council members, patients, participants, and families. We are grateful for you all.

If you missed this year’s luncheon but would like to support our mission with a donation, please consider donating online.

As TRU Community Care approaches its 50th anniversary, we’re excited to share key highlights from our Fall 2024 Newsletter. This edition showcases our commitment to compassionate care and innovative services across various fronts:

• We’re exploring an affiliation with St. Paul’s Senior Services in San Diego to expand our programs and ensure another 50 years of impactful service.
• Our PACE program is enhancing participant experience by introducing an in-house transportation fleet, improving flexibility and reliability.
• True to our mission, we continue to provide a safety net for those unable to pay, projecting to spend approximately $2,575,000 on uncompensated care in 2024.
• And our unique equine-assisted grief support programs, offered in partnership with Heartlight Center and Dancing Spirit, continue to provide innovative support for both adults and youth navigating loss.

You can read the full newsletter here to learn more.

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to meet the evolving healthcare needs of our community.