When people from industries we don’t know much about share their job secrets, it can really spark our curiosity. Even if we don’t pick up any useful skills, learning about their challenges can help us appreciate their work more. Sometimes, what they share might even steer us away from that field altogether.
In healthcare, though, the stories from professionals can teach us a lot about ourselves too. For instance, hospice nurse Julie recently shared some intriguing insights in her videos that touch on life and death.
On October 25, she released the first of two videos where she discussed some strange things that can happen when patients are nearing the end of their lives. One phenomenon she talked about is called “the rally.” This occurs when a patient is critically ill and expected to pass away soon. Julie explained that, during this time, patients might suddenly seem to improve—they might eat more, talk more, and even get up and move around when they couldn’t before. This “rally” makes them appear more like their old selves, showing a livelier personality.
Julie mentioned that about one in three of her patients experience this, so hospice staff often remind families to recognize “the rally” to avoid being blindsided by a sudden downturn after a patient seems to do so well.
Even though this happens often, medical professionals still don’t have a clear explanation for why it occurs.
Julie also talked about another phenomenon that might sound familiar but is different from how it’s often shown in movies. In films, characters often see their deceased loved ones right before they die, but Julie pointed out that these visions usually happen about a month earlier. Patients might also report seeing angels or spirits, and they sometimes ask their caregivers if they can see what they’re seeing.
While this experience occurs as frequently as “the rally,” Julie and her colleagues can’t explain it either. Interestingly, only the patients experience these visions, and instead of being scared, most find comfort in them. Julie said, “Most people love this. They’re very comforted by it. It’s not scary to them.”
@hospicenursejulie #hospicenursejulie #nurse #learnontiktok #nursesoftiktok ♬ original sound – 💕 Hospice nurse Julie 💕