Melissa Haniuk
Certified Nursing Assistant
Brighton Hospice Oregon
“We should live every day like people
who have just been rescued from dying on the moon.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh
What is something about you that would surprise most people?
I was a competitive swimmer my whole childhood.
What is your favorite book or movie from your childhood?
I always loved James and the Giant Peach. I loved the thought of it!
If you could spend a day with any person, living or deceased, who would it be?
Ram Dass. He changed my life in many ways.
What is one thing you can’t live without?
I have a list of four, in this order: chapstick, coffee, music, sunglasses.
What is your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
I love British Columbia.
Where is your hometown?
Lincoln City, Oregon
Tell us about your family / friends / pets / hobbies / passion projects:
My fiancé and I have a blended family of three girls: Zoe age 10, Charlotte age 8, and Lucy age 5. Jason has been taking care of adults with developmental disabilities for over 20 years and that’s where I met him when we were younger. Charlotte has a guinea pig named Max. Lucy doesn’t want a pet. In my spare time, I do yoga, read, listen to music, hike, I like making friendship bracelets, and I sing all day long. I am passionate about helping others live their best life and teaching others the things I’ve learned. I help people with personal organization projects in my spare time. I am passionate about mental health and am, as I can, involved in suicide prevention organizations.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what things would you bring?
- A guitar so I could create music and learn how to play any music I missed
- My family because I couldn’t imagine leaving them behind
Team Member Spotlights
Our mission at Brighton Hospice is to provide the best physical, emotional, and spiritual care for our patients and their families.
Achieving this important mission would be impossible without our Brighton team members. We take pride in hiring the most compassionate and skilled people in the industry who deliver clinical expertise and exceed our patients’ expectations.
Our Team Member Spotlight series is our way of highlighting those dedicated individuals who go above and beyond in their commitment to excellence. Each month, we’ll be featuring interviews here on the Brighton Blog and on our social channels.
Melissa Haniuk, CNA
In her spare time, Melissa likes to hike, do yoga, read,
listen to music, and is passionate about helping others.
What inspired you to pursue a career in hospice care?
I became interested in hospice when talking to my instructing RN in my CNA class. She had said that it was an important job that really couldn’t be done by just anyone. She said it was an important specialty and I felt I had the skills, the background, and the ability to help. Knowing this field wasn’t for “just anyone” gave me a sense of duty to do this important work. I felt called to this.
How did you first learn about Brighton Hospice?
I was looking at different hospice companies. I interviewed with others and came across Brighton on Indeed. I researched, met Dani and Megan during my interview, found out we had the privilege to see our patients five days a week, and I was SOLD.
What is your proudest moment at Brighton Hospice?
Being requested to take care of one of our administration team’s family members. Being trusted to take care of them and be there with the family during a quick decline was such an honor.
What are your hopes for the hospice care / healthcare industry?
My hope for the entire healthcare industry is greater emphasis on holistic patient care and staffing retention. It’s something that is spoken about but isn’t always practiced. I think there are many factors to this, but some of that seems to be due to overloaded healthcare workers. Lack of staffing retention, in order to focus on how to best take care of patients’ mental, physical, and emotional health.
Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?
I’m so proud to be a part of this team and to be a part of helping people at such vulnerable and complex times in their lives.
