A hospice nurse has opened up about what it’s like to care for people at the end of their lives, responding to a range of questions about dying and death.
In a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” thread, the nurse introduced themselves and invited people to ask anything: “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.”
The post quickly drew attention, and commenters began asking about everything from fear and grief to what patients experience in their final days.
One user asked: “What’s your perspective on death? Did your perspective change upon serving as a hospice nurse?”
The nurse replied with their view of death as a natural part of life, saying: “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.”
They also discussed a moment hospice workers sometimes encounter: people appearing to see loved ones or pets who have already died shortly before they pass.
Another commenter asked directly: “Is there an afterlife?”
The nurse shared their personal thoughts while acknowledging uncertainty: “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 addressed how the job has affected their own feelings about mortality, explaining that being around death regularly has made them less fearful.
“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.