Sheila Brandenburg, RN, CHPN

Sheila Brandenburg is a Registered Nurse working with Confluence Health since 2016 as a Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse, working to expand palliative care to rural North Central Washington. Based in Omak WA, area of service includes all of Okanogan County and all disciplines including cardiology, pulmonology, oncology, dementia, and Advanced Care Planning. Sheila completed Nursing school in Spokane WA in 1986 and set out with a passion ignited as a nurse’s aide in her first job in a Skilled Care facility to make a difference in care provided in chronic & life-limiting illness. This passion followed Sheila, through home care, long term care consulting and into Hospice care for Okanogan County for 10 years.

Sheila’s personal greatest experience was working with a non-profit “The Cove” of Twisp Washington to develop, build, and operate as the Executive Director two Adult Family Homes in Winthrop Washington for 10 years, in association with the Green House Project. Sheila also has excellent teaching skills and experiences includes teaching Certified Nurse Aide fast track programs for Wenatchee Valley College and as approved Adult Family Home Instructor with the State of Washington.

Sheila has shared in many excellent community presentations on long term care needs, Advanced Care Planning, Planning for the care of family, and dementia. In addition to starting a very successful program with The Cove adult family homes, she has been a Team Leader for Home Health and Hospice in Okanogan County where she also served as a clinical preceptor. In 2018 Sheila was invited to join Washington State Palliative Care Initiative for the Okanogan County Cohort looking to find innovative ways to bring Palliative Care Skills and services to rural communities. Primary area of focus for Sheila is Palliative Care education for providers and team members, Advanced Directives, and inclusion of all communities in our area.

Sheila’s passion is making a difference in how care is provided for people, primarily in rural areas, which allows decision making to start with the client, assist in well-informed decision making, provide needed services using technology and multi-discipline team members to reach out to clients, and last but not least stand for compassion and empathy in the face of difficult life circumstances.