Ever wonder what people experience before death? A nurse has gone viral on TikTok for sharing her experiences with patients in hospice care.
Known as “Hospice nurse Julie,” Julie McFadden’s account has accumulated more than 400,000 followers.
McFadden has been working in hospice care for five years, Newsweek reported. That came after she spent more than 10 years as an intensive care unit nurse. Today, she’s sharing information about death and dying in an effort to normalize it.
In one of her most-viewed videos, McFadden answers whether it’s normal for a loved one to see relatives who have passed away.
“Yes! This is actually a sign of death/dying,” the Los Angeles nurse answers in on-screen text.
In a more recent video, McFadden shares what she says is a “fascinating fact” about death and dying.
“Our bodies are truly built to survive birth, for the most part, and they’re built to die,” she said. “So, when someone in hospice is dying a natural death, the body knows and the body will start kicking in its regular mechanisms that are built-in when someone’s getting near death. It’ll stop eating and drinking for the most part and it’ll start sleeping a lot more. The body will start literally preparing itself and helping the person have a more peaceful, natural death.”
McFadden also uses the account to dispel myths about hospice care. They include that it starves people and that it means immediate death, both of which are untrue.
“The best part about my job is educating patients and families about death and dying as well as supporting them emotionally and physically. she told The Sun. “Also, helping them to understand what to expect is another part of my job as a hospice nurse.”
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