Air Force veteran continues her mission through hospice nursing

For Marissa Baird, nursing has always been a calling rooted in compassion, service and purpose. Those same qualities guided her through four and a half years of service in the United States Air Force and now guide her every day as a Hospice Nurse with AdventHealth Porter.

Marissa served at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a Registered Nurse, where she honed her clinical skills and developed a deep appreciation for structure, leadership, and service. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she joined the military with one goal in mind: to use her skills to make a difference.

“After receiving my BSN, I wanted to give back knowing I had this beneficial skill set that could take me on missions or deployments to help those in need,” Marissa said.

During her service, Marissa had the opportunity to train in wound care, a skill she would carry into her civilian nursing career for many years. But one of her proudest memories came on a more personal level - she welcomed both of her children while on active duty.

“I was blessed to have had both my children while serving,” she said. “It’s something I’ll always treasure.”

Her time in the Air Force instilled in her lifelong values - organization, leadership, integrity, and a deep pride for the American flag. Those values would later lead her to an unexpected, but profoundly meaningful, new chapter in health care: hospice nursing.

Finding a new calling in hospice care

After years of leadership in wound care, Marissa found herself searching for something that would reignite her passion for nursing. She began working PRN in hospice and within two years, she realized she had found her calling.

“I started working in hospice part-time, and my heart was telling me this is where I should be,” Marissa shared. “It was a hard and scary decision to leave management, but I knew this was my purpose.”

Her transition into hospice was marked by a series of small, spiritual moments - signs, as she calls them that confirmed she was where she needed to be.

“For reasons I can’t explain, animals often come to my yard to pass away - birds, rabbits, squirrels. I always comfort them. It felt like a message from God when I was deciding to make the switch to hospice, and it still happens today.”

Serving patients at life’s final chapter

As a hospice nurse, Marissa now cares for patients in hospitals, homes, and care facilities helping individuals and families find peace, comfort, and dignity in life’s final moments.

“I feel honored to have the opportunity to provide peace and comfort to a patient and their family in the final hours, days, or weeks of life,” she said. “Sometimes that means crying with them. Other times it means reminding them that they’re doing an incredible job caring for their loved one.”

Her work has reshaped her view of life and death.

“Life is short and only the lucky ones get old,” Marissa reflected. “I’ve always been concrete and scientific, but hospice has shown me things I can’t explain. Now, I truly believe this life is temporary and that you will see your loved ones again.”

She also hopes to change the way people understand hospice care.

“Hospice doesn’t mean you’re dying today,” Marissa emphasized. “It means you’re living with a terminal illness and we’re here to help you live the best quality of life possible, for as long as you can.”

A legacy of compassion

Through every hug, tear, and “thank you,” Marissa finds meaning and joy in the sacred work of end-of-life care.

“People often say we’re angels,” she said. “But really, we’re the ones who are blessed to walk beside them in their journey. When death is embraced, it can be a beautiful, loving, peaceful process.”

This National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, AdventHealth is proud to honor Marissa Baird - a veteran, a nurse, and a compassionate caregiver whose life of service continues to make a profound difference every day.