Nursing alumna awarded Riley Hospital for Children Palliative Care Nurse of the Year

Amy Haskamp, a 1996 graduate of Purdue University School of Nursing, was practicing palliative care long before she knew the meaning of the word.

“I watched a lot of kids not live well and not die well, and I knew there had to be a better way.”

— Amy Haskamp (Purdue School of Nursing ’96), palliative care nurse at Riley Hospital for Children

Palliative care is an interdisciplinary approach to specialized medical and nursing care for people with life-limiting illnesses. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the person and their family.

Dr. Mitch Knisely, assistant professor in Duke School of Nursing, worked with Amy Haskamp at IU Health North Hospital in Carmel, Indiana. “She truly embodies the College Health and Human Sciences tagline, Making Lives Better.” Haskamp received the School of Nursing’s “Golden Graduate” awards to recognize her accomplishments in the field.

Haskamp has taken Giant Leaps in the field of nursing by helping to establish the palliative care program at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. She will be awarded the Certified Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse of the Year this March at the American Academy of Hospital and Palliative Care conference in Orlando, Florida.

Read more about about Amy Haskamp’s work at Riley Hospital for Children: “Riley Nurse Was Practicing Palliative Care Long Before She Knew What The Word Meant,” Riley Children’s Health