Tribute to Women: Jamiski Clark
/All who live will one day die, a truth that most people refuse to face until it becomes absolutely unavoidable. A select few, however, are called to meet death every single day with compassion, courage and grace. These people are called hospice workers.
Jamiski Clark has worked in hospice care for 15 years, beginning as an aide and then becoming a licensed vocational nurse (LVN). At Hospice of Texarkana, she has worked as an in-home nurse as well as at the in-patient unit. In 2021, she was promoted to intake nurse, a position in which she assesses patients’ needs and delegates nurses to address them. In this role, she coordinates with doctors and case managers to ensure her patients receive the best care available. With so many years of experience, she is an agile caretaker and employee, pivoting as different demands arise. “I am pretty flexible throughout the company and help wherever is needed,” she said.
While her experience and education are critical to Jamiski’s success, they are not enough; a hospice worker must also possess an abundance of passion and compassion in order to do their job well. Jamiski does.
“Providing comfort care for the patients and emotional support for the families during such difficult times is very important to me,” she said. “Making sure our patients have the best care during their last days of life has always been my goal. I want to make sure that every patient and family I come in contact with have the love and compassion they deserve and that, if nothing else, the emotional burden associated with terminal illness is lifted. I love praying for and with my patients and their families. Hospice care isn’t the easiest, but it is the most rewarding to know you provided the best care for someone before they transitioned.”
Patients feel the effects of Jamiski’s bigheartedness. One patient requested that she be the only nurse (except for RNs) to see him. In the moments before his death, Jamiski was off-duty, but the patient’s wife and caregiver both called her on her cell. “They sounded frantic and requested that I get there ASAP,” she recalled. “I was getting my oil changed but immediately asked the technician to stop, as I needed to go; this family needed me.” She made it to his home and found the patient in respiratory distress. She administered the appropriate medication in order to provide relief.
“Just before this patient took his last breath,” Jamiski continued, “he looked directly at me and said, ‘Thank you. I love you.’ Then he transitioned. Being there with him and his family meant more than I can express. Knowing that I was able to get there in time enough to help him become comfortable in his final minutes of life warms my heart.”
Jamiski loves serving at Radiant Church.
Jamiski is a single mother to two sons. An active member of Radiant Church, she works their annual clothes drive and volunteers in their outreach ministry. She also serves a few elderly congregants by assisting them with routine medication administration, grocery-store runs and other household tasks. She is currently working toward becoming an RN.
FSLM asked Jamiski ...
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a pediatric nurse.
What’s your favorite local spot to spend time? Radiant Church.
What words of wisdom would you offer to your past self? Love yourself first so that you can effectively love others, and never allow fear to hinder you from reaching your goals in life.
Sue Barchenger’s words on Jamiski Clark
Several years ago, as a new volunteer for the Hospice of Texarkana in-patient unit, I kept hearing the name Jamiski. One day, this beautiful woman walked into the in-patient unit and sat next to me. I said, “Hello, I’m Sue,” and she replied, “I’m Jamiski.” Right then I sensed that we would get along great together. In that short conversation, I could tell that she was a very kind person. She has a smile that lights up a room. Jamiski never hesitates to answer my questions or help me with a task. I see her filling different roles as she is needed. When she talks about her church, her face just shines. She is as sharp as a pencil and a joy to be around. I am so grateful to get to call her my friend.