Scoring: Determine the type of commitment you want to make to this based on how you answered the questions. Really pay attention to your inner voice.
If you scored closer to 50:
you know you are pretty determined to make it through the rough spots, self-doubts and obstacles that may come your way. It is clear you would like to have some kind of end-of-life service in your community.
Great Considerations for you would be:
- Weaving the skill or role into whatever you are doing now in your ‘day-job.’
- Creating an end-of-life doula menu item in your current independent practice.
- Creating a part-time practice now and integrating this role into your present lifestyle, expanding into a full-time practice as demand grows.
- Create an end-of-life collective that will serve your community and be an education hub as well.
- Studying how to create a practice now for when you are ready to do it.
If your score is around 25:
Search deep inside to see what part of all this appeals to you and focus on that part. It is highly likely that you are the ‘go-to’ person amongst your family and friends. You know you will always be on the lookout for interesting training and awareness opportunities to deepen your interest and passion in serving others.
Great Considerations for you would be:
- Learn excellent self-care and loving boundaries to nourish you as you serve your family, friend and work circles. As you may already know, you can significantly overtax yourself as you want to give all you have to the people you love. In this setting, since you are called on frequently, it’s a skill very important for you to have quality of life.
- Be an end-of-life educator or facilitator of community discussions about end-of-life topics.
- Volunteer at your local hospital, hospice or nursing home.
If you are closer to 10:
Maybe this is just a passing curiosity or you are really being drawn to this because of a specific dying experience.
Great Considerations for you would be:
- Spend some time to figure out if you may be deep in your own grief process and just trying to figure out answers.
- Volunteer with hospice, if you have not yet, and see if this is a service that brings you joy. You will know quickly if it does or does not.
- Be a facilitator of community end-of-life discussions. This does not require you to be an expert to be the person who organizes discussions or book clubs or movie nights.
- DO nothing, and just enjoy what you learn and your interest in this service.
Please share with us your insights after you calculate your score. Was it spot on? Way off? Let us know your experience. Email us at clientcare@qualityoflifecare.com
About Deanna
Deanna Cochran, Hospice RN, bestselling author and creator of the premier End of Life Doula Certificate Program in 2010, has been serving the dying since 2000. To encourage and share skillful and loving holistic support tools and bring awareness to the appropriate use of palliative care from day one of diagnosis of any serious illness is why she tirelessly advocates for all of us.
She is Founder and Principal of CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying, whose mission is to empower all of us to die well in this modern age. An innovative leader, she served as Chair of NHPCO’s EOL Doula Advisory Council from 2018 – 2020, bringing awareness about doulas to hospices and is founding member and first Vice President of The National End-of-Life Doula Alliance, formed to bring professional standards of practice to the doula role.
Deanna has spearheaded many initiatives that have empowered not only families but health and death care professionals around the world.
If you are interested in a deep study and personal transformation, consider our End of Life Doula Certificate Program. More Information is below.
CareDoula® Certificate Program
For a deep exploration of your desire to serve others through dying, consider enrolling in our program, the original End-of-Life Doula Certificate Program, which has inspired thousands around the world, created by Deanna.
Regardless of how you will implement what you learn, the transformative journey will serve you throughout your life. You may simply enjoy the training or earn certification upon completion of our course requirements; you will be awarded the designation of Certified End-of-Life Doula, as well as Certified CareDoula®.
InLove and service,
Deanna