#sparkchamber 050922 — Hospice Nurse Julie
May 6 – 12 is National Nurses Week, and the second week of May is National Hospital Week. Celebrating both today, #sparkchamber is so honored to welcome Hospice Nurse Julie McFadden. A nurse for 14 years, she spent the first nine in the Intensive Care Unit where she developed a passion for hospice care. “I started noticing as a culture we lack knowledge about death and dying, most refusing to talk about it. I want to change that. It’s important to educate ourselves about something we will all go through. And from what I found, the more we know, the easier it is to accept, and fear decreases.”
She’s been working in hospice now for five years, but has recently come into much broader public awareness — she’s gone viral on TikTok! Julie started making videos on TikTok about a year ago after her nieces introduced her to the platform, and already has more than 840,000 followers. [She also posts on Instagram @hospicenursejulie.] “I knew I wanted to get information out in general. I felt like it was a very taboo topic that shouldn’t be so taboo,” she told USA TODAY , “I think I made like three or four TikToks and four days later, one of them blew up. It just kept happening over and over again.”
Her videos are straightforward, down-to-earth, conversational notes and observations about end-of-life occurrences. Of course, dying is an individual experience, but she speaks about usual behaviors and reactions as the body begins to break down, as well as about common unexplained phenomena. It is truly fascinating. And comforting. From the USA article again: While many couldn’t imagine being so close to death, McFadden said she’d never do something else. “To be able to provide somebody with answers and comfort and care and to help that process be easier, it feels like a gift.”
Thank you to all nurses and healthcare providers for all you do.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
My ideas come from years of experience, my day-to-day work, life, and science.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I want to help people fear death less, by understanding it more.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I work as a per diem hospice and palliative care nurse. Meaning, I can make my own schedule. I usually choose to work Monday-Friday 8-5pm, however I take many vacations :-)
4.] How do you know when you are done?
I have really good work/life boundaries. So when it’s 5pm, I’m done being a nurse. However — I’m always a death-and-dying educator and I love it.