O’Connell Care at Home’s Sheila Pennell Earns National Certification

HOLYOKE — O’Connell Care at Home announced that Sheila Pennell, RN case manager, has received the certified hospice and palliative nurse (CHPN) designation from the Hospice and Palliative Certification Center, a competence-based board responsible for the development and oversight of certification for the specialty of nursing in hospice and palliative care.

Hospice and palliative nursing practice is the provision of nursing care for the patient and family, with emphasis on their physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs when experiencing a life-limiting illness and through bereavement. This is accomplished in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team in a setting that provides pain and symptom management, family support, and 24-hour nursing availability.

“The comprehensive national certification program is designed for those like Sheila who hold a leadership position in home care,” said Fran O’Connell, founder and president of O’Connell Care at Home. “Sheila shares our commitment to advancing the quality of care we provide for our community; this certification will allow us to continue to foster a culture of respect and understanding for our patients on hospice and palliative care.”

Pennell is a graduate of UMass Amherst, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and is currently working toward obtaining her Ph.D. Prior to joining O’Connell Care at Home, Pennell worked as a hospice nurse for a local hospital. She is also certified in geriatrics. As the RN case manager for O’Connell Care at Home, she supervises personal-care services, develops individualized client-care plans, coordinates health-related services, and evaluates the care practices of home health aides.

For more information about O’Connell Care at Home, visit opns.com.