I've been a hospice nurse for five years, and what I often tell them when they ask, is, it is a privilege, to be part of such a sacred time. I cannot imagine anything more meaningful then easing someone's passing. To remove pain and fear. I often offer prayer. I remind the dying and family that death is painful, and it's okay to fall apart, cry, be angry. But know, we all have to die, and at least their loved one was (usually)at home, with those they love. I always speak of a "soft" passing, the hope that they are relaxed and at peace. Death is not ugly, or frightening. It should be peaceful and sometimes joyful.
