Presentation: Careers in Hospice Nursing and Death Care

Gain an in-depth understanding of hospice nursing, death work, and end-of-life doula care with Amelia Coplan, an experienced hospice nurse and death worker who has been practicing since 2011. Drawing from her work across hospital, hospice, and community-based settings, Amelia offers a grounded look at how professionals support patients and families through serious illness, dying, and end-of-life transitions. 

She highlights the skills essential to this work, including compassionate communication, clinical judgment, adaptability, and teamwork, and also outlines education, career paths, and training opportunities for those interested in becoming end-of-life doulas. 

Amelia Coplan, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente and a hospice nurse and death worker with over a decade of experience supporting patients and families through end-of-life care. She previously worked with Hospice By The Bay, providing care across Marin and San Francisco counties, and has a background in acute care, palliative care, and medical-surgical nursing. Amelia holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Rochester and has received training from leaders including Frank Ostaseski, Ram Dass, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Reverend Bohdi Be. Her work is deeply informed by the lessons she has learned from patients and their loved ones over the years. 

This program is part of the Career Insights series.