A hospice nurse has become a TikTok star sharing stories of her work in end-of-life care – including visitations from pets and dead relatives to her views on the afterlife.
Penny Smith, 59, from Washington, regularly uploads videos of her experiences to TikTok, where she has 432,000 followers.
The clips have left social media users stunned, racking up millions of views as the nurse gives an inside view into death and what dying patients say to her.
Being around death so much, Penny has been through many unusual experiences that it has lead her into believing in the afterlife.
Penny, who didn’t believe in the after-life until she became a hospice nurse, now uses her job to help her ‘cope with her dad’s death.’
A hospice nurse from Washington took to TikTok to share her stories with patients in end of life care, and the signs of being close to death, including seeing a dead relative or pet
Penny, 59, is known to TikTok as ‘Hospice Nurse Penny’ and has raked up over 400,00 followers and shares her afterlife stories with them
Penny notes its extremely common for dying patients to claim to see dead loved ones or pets
Part of the hospice nurse’s job is encountering many unique and tragic patients.
Penny notes that the ‘most profound thing is when a dying person tells you they are being visited by someone who has died, she added that this happens when a patient is ‘completely lucid and clearly able to state who they are seeing.’
‘Seeing people visioning “spirits” or whatever entity it is they see has affirmed a belief in me that there is something more,’ Penny shared in her viral TikTok.
Many times patients share with Penny how they have seen dead loved ones in their own room, Penny described a time where a patient ‘saw his wife in the ceiling corner of the room,’ telling her she was coming to get him ‘but not today, tomorrow.’
Many dying people also share their regrets and final thoughts with the hospice nurse.
Penny notes the most common things she hears from patients as a hospice nurse are people wishing ‘they had worked less, spent more time with family.’
She went on to describe an unforgettable experience when a man told her he ‘regretted doing chemo for his lung cancer,’ the man died the same afternoon he shared this with Penny.
In a viral video, Penny has recreated a time a patient of her was looking for her cat until later realizing it was her old cat who had passed away
The hospice nurse reenacted signs of people about about to die, such as a dying person putting their arms up in the air as if they are waiting for a spirit to hug them
In a viral TikTok video, Penny shares the key indicators that someone is close to death including how they’ll usually claim to see a dead relative
While recreating signs of death in a viral video, Penny shared that when people are dying they experience life altering thoughts including things they regret
Many dying people also share their regrets and final thoughts with the hospice nurse.
Penny notes the most common things she hears from patients as a hospice nurse are people wishing ‘they had worked less, spent more time with family.”
She went on to describe an unforgettable experience when a man told her he ‘regretted doing chemo for his lung cancer,’ the man died the same afternoon he shared this with Penny.
Unfortunately, the job also comes with some very difficult situations including family tensions.
She said: ‘There’s nothing worse than having a patient who hasn’t put their wishes in writing or designated someone to speak on their behalf.’
The hospice nurse shared time when ‘a person is designated as the decision-maker and they weaponize it by withholding visitation rights.’
She described the time a young patient’s wife ‘wouldn’t allow his mother to visit anymore,’ saying it was ‘heartbreaking.’
The hospice nurse also claims she’s had family members withhold pain medication.
Despite some of the negative experiences, Penny loves her job and has also had many positive moments with her patients.
She said: ‘My favorite was finally managing my 42-year-old lung cancer patient’s pain to the point where her young daughters and I could give her a bed bath and dress her in her favorite t-shirt and leopard print panties,’ adding that it was a ‘special and meaningful experience.’
The Washington nurse has said that people can look ‘frightening’ when they are close to death
Penny reenacted final thoughts from patients including that dying patients often believe their dead relatives are coming to get then
The hospice nurse has gained over 400,000 followers on TikTok by sharing her stories on death
In one of her most popular videos, which has racked up 7.8 million views and over 331,000 likes, she reveals her beliefs while someone is dying.
In the clip, she re-enacts someone holding up their arms while they are slipping away, before implying that this could mean a spirit is hugging them.
Users took to the comments to share their unusual experiences after someone close to them passed away.
‘The night before my dad passed away – he asked me if I’m pregnant. A week later I took a test and it confirmed that I’m pregnant! It’s amazing,’ one viewer commented.
Another person added: ‘Heaven is real. This life is just a trial. Be kind to others,’ followed by a thumbs up emoji.
In a second clip, which has over 4.7 million views and 262,000 likes, she shares another belief about a different spirit welcoming someone into the afterlife.
In the video, she re-enacts someone stroking the air above their chest as they peacefully ‘pass’ away while in bed.
Shortly after, she shows a cat’s spirit on the screen being caressed by their owner.
TikTok users were quick to comment their thoughts on Penny’s stories as well as include their own experiences with loved ones
In another clip, which has racked up 1.3 million views and 52,000 likes, Penny reveals why we don’t want to eat near the end.
In the video, she explains that while we love food, it acts as ‘fuel’ for our body – which we don’t need upon dying as our bodies are ‘shutting down.’
As a result, our body sends the message that we don’t need to eat – leading to a loss of appetite.
The nurse believes that TV shows and movies can often makes death look glamorous with peaceful expressions and eyes shut – when in reality, people are unprepared for how a dying person physically looks.
She said: ‘Usually people’s eyes are open or partially open, sometimes eye color can appear to change, the jaw drops down with mouth agape and the skin can become waxy appearing and grey or yellow.
Most of the time, the dying process can be ‘frightening to see happen to your person,’ although this is normal, ‘understanding that helps to remove fear.’
‘Don’t be afraid to talk about the ‘elephant in the room’, people usually know that they’re dying.’
‘We live in our bodies, we know when they are changing.’
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