On this BLBD episode I talk with Penny Hawkins Smith, nationally certified hospice and palliative care nurse and social media rockstar! Penny’s 2025 book,  Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living, forms the basis of our conversation, but of course we hit on a range of topics, including Penny’s path into hospice care, how her TikTok videos on death and dying have alleviated death anxiety for many, and the concept of deathbed visions. We ask: How can humor and education mitigate death anxiety? What are common misconceptions about hospice care? And how can we prepare for and discuss death more openly to ensure a ‘good death’ experience?

https://www.hospicenursepenny.com

https://www.instagram.com/hospicenursepenny

http://www.tiktok.com/@hospicenursepenny

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090618306403&mibextid=LQQJ4d