As I was driving to see a patient one afternoon, I was at a stop sign and looked over and I saw a woman clipping roses in her garden. The...

If you could relive just one moment in your life, what would it be? This is one of the questions from the Death Deck and was asked...

The other morning, I got out of bed and put my slippers on like I do every morning. As I started to walk toward the kitchen to get the...

Just before that last breath is taken, I encourage those who are about to say goodbye, to share some favorite memories. Not necessarily...

From the moment I started working as a nurse, I pushed myself to the point of exhaustion every single day. It felt good to be that...

A frequent theme in conversations I have with those who are about to say goodbye to someone they love, is that they wish they would have...

Working in end-of-life care has me questioning my own mortality often. I can’t help but ask myself how much time I have left, or if I...

When I first walked into the room of a woman who was dying, I was a little taken back by how dark it was. It didn’t feel as though this was her choice, in fact it felt as though consideration was not taken for her or what she might want. She was dying alone, although she had a staff of private caregivers, who for the most part took wonderful care of her, but no one was at her bedside and her room was far too dark for someone who was dying. At least in my opinion. When I went

I had the honor recently of walking through a forest with the wife of a man who died way too young. Her intention was to scatter just a...

One of the things I have really grown deep appreciation for while working in hospice, is the different members of the team and the role...

For many years I have sat at bedsides witnessing people die; this is the work I do, I am a hospice nurse. I have held thousands of hands,...

When I was in my early twenties, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and given a year to live. I sat at her bedside and talked about all...

The first thing I noticed when I met them, was the way he looked at her. It was far more than love alone, it was trust, and compassion...

I will start by saying that I am not a very religious person. I do not practice any particular faith, nor have I made a commitment to a...

Have you ever thought about the music you want played at your death bed? We put a lot of thought into music we want at weddings, and we...

At the end of your day, do you think about how many times you might have felt joy? I have been thinking a lot about this, especially...

I was recently visiting a patient who has lost his ability to speak clearly, and although he says many words, they are random, and did...

Every day for the last year of her 95 years, she sat in her cozy window seat in the corner of her room and looked out the window. She...

When you work in hospice, talking about death is something you become very used to, and are usually not uncomfortable with. Sometimes I...

Over the years as I have started to evolve in the care of patients at the end of life, I have found that what I am drawn to most is how...