She's helped millions talk about death. Now she's talking to us.
With a social media audience of more than 2 million followers, American hospice nurse Penny Hawkins Smith, better known as Hospice Nurse Penny, became a viral sensation during the Covid pandemic by doing something many people still struggle with: talking honestly about death.
With more than 17 years of experience in hospice and palliative care, Penny shares the realities of dying with refreshing honesty, compassion and a healthy dose of dark humour. Her videos help people understand what happens at the end of life, challenge misconceptions and reassure families who are frightened by things they've never witnessed before.
And when we sat down with Penny, it quickly became clear that we'd found a kindred spirit across the Atlantic.
In this episode of It's A Death Sentence Podcast, Emma and Carrie get together with Penny for a conversation that is as funny, fascinating and wonderfully candid as it is thought-provoking.
We talk about what dying can actually look like, the changes that happen as life draws to a close, and why families are often left frightened simply because nobody has explained what's normal. We explore whether people who appear unconscious can still hear us, the experiences some people report near the end of life, and the questions we're often too embarrassed to ask.
But this conversation goes far beyond the physical process of dying.
Penny opens up about her own unconventional journey into hospice nursing, the difficult experiences that helped shape her, and why she believes our relationship with death has such a profound effect on the way we live.
We explore the supernatural, the possibility of an afterlife, whether working so closely with dying people changes what you believe, and what happens when the nurse herself encounters something she can't easily explain.
We also discuss Penny's book, Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living, the role of social media in breaking down death taboos, and why dark humour can sometimes help us talk about the things that scare us most.
And because no conversation with us would be complete without a few unexpected questions, we finish with some Would You Rather dilemmas, including whether you'd rather know exactly when you're going to die or exactly how.
Along the way, we discover the woman behind the millions of views: a mum, grandma, wife, author and hospice nurse who lives in a mountain cabin with her husband, Pam the cat and Kevin the dog.
Three women, different life experiences, one shared belief: talking about death doesn't have to be depressing, frightening or taboo.
It can be honest. It can be funny. It can be compassionate. And it might just help us live better.
In this episode, we discuss:
· What dying can really look like and what families need to know.
· Common misconceptions and the things people are often afraid to ask.
· Hearing, awareness and what may happen in the final days of life.
· Unusual experiences reported by dying people and the possibility of an afterlife.
· Penny's unconventional journey into hospice nursing.
· How dark humour and social media can help normalise conversations about death.
· Penny's book, Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living.
· What working with dying people teaches us about living.
· The big questions: immortality, knowing when we'll die and what makes a meaningful life.
A huge thank you to Penny for her honesty, generosity and brilliant company. We genuinely felt we'd found our American death-normalising companion, and we hope this is the first of many conversations.
Because death isn't a dirty word. And talking about it might be one of the most important things we ever do.
Follow Hospice Nurse Penny: Website: https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/
Find her book, Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living, through her website.
As always, we're dying to talk to you.
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