“Many people view a career in hospice as difficult or even depressing, but those who have chosen this field will tell you how much they love what they do,” explains Bobbie Mathis Self. “Hospice nursing is an exceptionally fulfilling career choice.” Bobbie presently serves as Vice-President of Quality and Compliance at AMOREM, which was previously known as Burke and Caldwell Hospice. The job involves examining and maintaining the programs in a health care organization to be sure that they follow proper procedures and standards.

“I didn’t dream of being a compliance and quality nurse when I was a kid, I just kind of fell into it, but I’m so glad I did. I know that ‘following rules’ for a living doesn’t sound that exciting, but it’s actually pretty interesting and fun. Every day there’s always something different, and no two days are ever the same.

“Something that I really enjoy about my job is the opportunity to mentor and train others. Compliance offers a sort of camaraderie that you don’t always find in other career paths. I’ve personally had a lot of great friendships in the field. I’ve had incredible mentors and teachers, and I really enjoy that I get to offer that to others, too. I enjoy making training fun and engaging. At AMOREM we try to make our training creative and always look for new ideas to improve compliance.

“I have been a nurse for over 24 years, and I have worked in long term care, home care, and hospice. I have worked at AMOREM for almost fourteen years and have held multiple roles here. I started out as RN case manager, then moved into the hospital liaison role for several years, and have also been the nurse educator. Nursing holds a great deal of challenges such as dealing with staff shortages and new regulations as well as physical and mental stress, but I can’t think of anything else I would rather do. Our mission at AMOREM is to provide quality, thoughtful, loving care to our patients and support to their families. We also offer education and grief support to the communities served. I believe in our mission and strive to encourage others to always provide top notch quality care to our patients.”

Bobbie graduated from Western Piedmont Community College in 1999 with an Associate degree in Nursing and from Appalachian State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Nursing. She earned a master’s degree in nursing education from Lenor-Rhyne University in 2018 and is a Nationally Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse.

“I have had wonderful nursing mentors who have shaped me into the nurse I am today. The one teacher who inspired me the most at East Burke was Barbara Temple. She taught health science, and I took her class all four years. She gave me a foundation in health care and allowed us to explore all areas in the medical field. She was the epitome of a nurse; her grace and patience will always be remembered by me.

“Elsie Whisenant was my ninth grade Algebra teacher, and she had the most genuine way to explain numbers; without her kindness and ease of teaching, I would not have learned the much-needed math equations that I used in nursing school. Sam Wilkinson was another great teacher I remember so fondly. He taught a course about minorities, and I will say I enjoyed this class more than any other I have ever had. This class gave me a love for the West and Native Americans and the desire to visit South Dakota, which I did in 2018.

“Rita Poteat and I worked together for several years; she taught me what it means to be a leader. Rita provided direction and always motivated me to be better. She is the one who encouraged me to go back to school for my BSN.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is meeting various people and hearing their life stories. I have learned so much from my patients and their families, the things they have done, the places they have been, their proudest moments, and even their fears. Hospice allows you the opportunity to get to know your patients; many other nursing specialties do not have this pleasure. Working in hospice isn’t just a job – it’s truly a calling. Hearing a family member say, ‘We couldn’t have done this without you,’ makes all the hard work worth it. Hospice is not an ‘easy’ profession by any means, but guiding people through what is often the most challenging time of their life is incredibly fulfilling.”

Published February 2024

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