A hospice nurse has spoken openly about death and end of life care, answering a series of questions about their experience.
Taking to a Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' forum, the nurse wrote: "Hey there! I am a hospice nurse in New England. I work overnights on call mostly, and have seen a lot of things. I am very open minded and happy to answer any questions you have at all about anything related to death, dying, the dying process, or literally anything else."
People were pretty intrigued by the post, with many asking questions.
One person said: "What's your perspective on death? Did your perspective change upon serving as a hospice nurse?"
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To which the nurse replied: "I think death is just as much a part of life as birth is. I think it can be beautiful when done with care and compassion. My perspective did change a bit, but I had already been taking care of long term care patients for a while, and many of them died under my care. It’s always an honor to help someone get to wherever we go peacefully. It just means so much to me to be able to do my job everyday."
The nurse also spoke about what people sometimes see before they pass away, explaining they often see people or pets who have died.
One person wrote: "Is there an afterlife?"
To which the nurse explained: "Personally, I think whatever happens after we die is beyond our human comprehension. Our tiny little human brains aren’t capable of understanding the complexity of what death could be like. What I do know, is that many of my patients see people and pets that have passed before they die.
"In the medical field, we refer to them as hallucinations, but it’s really up to what you believe. They often reach for people and things that we can’t see. They usually find these visions/hallucinations comforting. Now, is the veil lifting for them? I’m not really sure. I don’t think I’ll be sure until I die."
The nurse also spoke about whether they are now less afraid of death as a result of working in a hospice, with the nurse confirming that they are.
"I am so much less afraid! Every day that goes by I seem to be more comfortable with my death, to be honest. I have definitely had some patients that I will never, ever forget. I cry all the time. I have wanted to be a nurse my whole life. Then when I started, I really felt a true calling to do this," she said.
Topics: Health, Reddit, Social Media
Lucy Devine