Abstract
As a hospice volunteer more than two decades ago, I enjoyed sitting with
dying patients. Family members could rest or run errands, leaving us alone
together. Sometimes I did needlework at the bedside. Sometimes I fetched
things or helped the patient to the bathroom. It was peaceful. The closer
the patient was to death, the more I liked to be there. When I needed a new
career, nursing seemed like a logical choice to extend my hospice interest.