About this episode

JoAnne Chitwood shares her experiences and insights from 40 years of hospice nursing.

When JoAnne Chitwood graduated from nursing school, she wasn't sure what she actually wanted to do—until a hospice volunteer at the bedside of her patient told her, "JoAnne, you are a hospice nurse". She had never even heard the term, but she soon realized she was born for the role. JoAnne has spent the past four decades at the bedside of the dying. In this episode, she shares the profound lessons learned from 40 years of end-of-life care: how to manage terminal anxiety, why death mirrors the birth process, and how "pouring love" into patients can lead to the most unexpected outcomes. "Hospice has a level of intuition and sensitivity that I have not found in any other area of nursing or healthcare... it’s fabulous." Hear JoAnne talk about: How JoAnne discovered she was "born" for this hospice work Why the dying process is a mirror image of birth, as the body begins to "unwind" and nourish itself from within. Managing the many different facets of hospice nursing Why she doesn’t run from sadness Why forty years of witnessing "peaceful" transitions has completely removed her own fear of death. Mentioned in this episode: Please Help Me Die Well Book Series by JoAnne Chitwood The…

People in this episode

Host: Stacy Raine

Guest: JoAnne Chitwood

Topics covered

• hospice nursing
• end-of-life care
• death and dying
• personal experiences
• healthcare insights

Keywords

• hospice
• nursing
• end-of-life
• death
• care
• anxiety
• transition
• love

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Medicare

Products: Please Help Me Die Well Book Series

Books & works: The Highly Sensitive Person

More episodes of Tell Me What It's Like

• Earth Day Special | Trash Wolf: Leader of the Anti-Litter Pack (Re-Release) · April 22, 2026 · 43 min
• Dating Again After 30 Years: Victoria Vaughn on the Frogs She’s Kissed · April 8, 2026 · 34 min
• Becoming a Toy Photographer: Mitch Wu on Turning Play into a Creative Career · April 1, 2026 · 43 min
• Understanding Medicare: Toni King on Navigating a Complex System · March 25, 2026 · 38 min
• How Cities Are Designed: Creating Walkable Places with Jahnavi Kirtane · March 18, 2026 · 45 min
• Scaling Social Impact: Suzanne Smith on Helping Organizations Create Change · March 11, 2026 · 42 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Tell Me What It's Like podcast page.