Hospice nurse educates people about dying through candid and engaging viral videos

A hospice nurse is using TikTok to openly discuss death, aiming to change the reluctance people have about talking about it.

She shares insights on what people experience when dying and offers advice on how loved ones can support them in their final days.

“The death rattle is the most normal thing and to be expected at the end of life; however, if you’re not used to hearing it, it feels like the scariest thing you’ve ever heard,” Julie McFadden says in her TikTok video with almost 2 million views.

In her video, McFadden, a hospice nurse from California who also teaches online, discusses the “death rattle,” a normal part of dying due to saliva buildup in the mouth.

A viewer shared that they previously thought their mom was choking when she died but now understand she wasn’t in pain, expressing gratitude for the insight.

Another commenter wished to know about the topic before their dad’s passing.

Julie shared with Good Morning America that she created her TikTok account to facilitate such discussions, aiming to alleviate people’s fear of death and provide insight into their loved one’s experiences.

“I knew I wanted to talk to people about death and dying, just because people around me were saying, ‘You need to tell people the stuff that you’re telling us,'” Julie said.

She mentioned that her first video described what the last six months are typically like for a person in hospice care.

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), hospice care begins when medical treatments no longer work for a patient’s illness.

A hospice nurse like Julie aims to enhance the “care, comfort, and quality of life” for people nearing the end of life, as outlined by the NIA.

Contrary to common belief, she emphasized that her job isn’t just about sadness.

“It’s not as depressing as people think because it truly feels like you’re really, really helping people, and then seeing loved ones help their loved one during one of the most difficult times in their lives is inspiring, and it feels like an honor,” she said, adding that witnessing this love daily is life-changing, not depressing.

Julie learned that death isn’t the worst thing through her nursing career. She worked in an ICU before becoming a hospice nurse.

She believes suffering is worse than death. Witnessing the love her patients receive in hospice has deeply impacted her life.

Julie’s TikTok videos cover various aspects of death, including what people experience, like the “death stare” and spontaneous movements.

She also addresses patients’ fear of dying by listening and offering support.

Additionally, she encourages people to consider how they want to die, believing it helps them decide how to live their remaining time.

She stresses that there’s still life to be lived until the end.

Julie told “GMA” that many followers ask if their loved ones suffered before they died.

She explained that while she can’t know every case, what may seem like suffering is often normal in the final days.

She reassures people by explaining that our bodies are made to live and eventually die.

“I think there’s a lot of grief and trauma around death and dying because people just don’t understand what’s happening,” she said. “But [much] of what people describe is just what end of life looks like.”

Julie is pleased that her TikTok page allows her to educate people that their loved ones likely weren’t suffering before death, as it’s a natural part of the body’s process.

She hopes to alter perceptions of hospice care by highlighting its role in helping individuals live their final days with dignity, choice, and support.

Julie aims to make discussing death more comfortable, encouraging questions and open conversations.

She observed that even admitting fear or reluctance to talk about it can help ease the fear.

“I think we need to start reframing how we look at death and dying because it’s going to happen to all of us,” she concluded.

Watch the trending TikTok video of Julie McFadden, the hospice nurse, talking about death rattle below:

@hospicenursejulie Educational purposes only. #nothingtofear #hospicenursejulie #hospice #education #medicaltiktok #caregiversoftiktok ♬ original sound – 💕 Hospice nurse Julie 💕

Follow Julie on TikTok to see more of her interesting videos.