The book features her heartfelt reflections on her most impactful experiences with her hospice patients.
I was shocked how it resonated with people.
Many dont want to talk about hospice ordeath or dying.
One day I got a direct message from someone who was at the bedside of her dying husband.
She said that she had been watching my social media videos and that I brought her peace.
She felt like I was there at his death.
Thats when I decided that a book could go way deeper than a 60-second video.
Who is the book for?
Its for anyone who has lost a loved one or is going through grief or is considering hospice.
Its also for anyone who is fearful of death.
Why did you decide to become a hospice nurse?I did not start in hospice.
I did an externship in a hospital where I did everything from delivery to immediate care.
Then I became a nursing home manager.
Thats where I saw hospice care for the first time.
I was managing 40 patients.
I would watch hospice nurses come in and sit one-on-one with their patients for a while.
I said to myself, thats what medicine is supposed to be like.
I became a hospice nurse.
Whats the best part about being a hospice nurse?The best thing by far is the relationships.
You get to know people at a different level and you get to know them for many months.
Whats the worst?The worst thing is that there is a nursing shortage in every field.
It can be draining.
How do your patients approach the end-of-life process?People go through stages.
Sometimes they are very resistant to going to hospice.
We make a run at start slow and let them get to know us.
They often go through a life review and become a bit more accepting.
They talk about what they did well; what they wished theyd done.
They accept the decline.
Our bodies know how to die.
Usually, people are at peace at the end.
It must be difficult getting close with patients you know will eventually pass on.
Its not always easy.
I know it may be a while, but I believe Ill see them again.
This wont be the last time I see them.
