Stephanie Crawford, RN

My nursing career began in 2016 on a busy trauma and surgical oncology unit, where I received my first introduction to end-of-life in our healthcare system. I cared for older adult patients who returned to the hospital time and time again to have aggressive surgeries for cancer recurrence, often leaving them more physically unwell than they were prior to surgery. I often wondered if any of their doctors had talked to them about the option to prioritize comfort and quality of life instead of another invasive intervention.

During my time working in the hospital, I witnessed deaths that were chaotic, unprepared for, and traumatizing for the patient, their loved ones, and the medical staff. Intuitively, I knew that death had the opportunity to unfold differently. It was becoming increasingly difficult for me - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - to serve as a nurse in an environment that overlooked the potential for people to live out their final chapter in a more peaceful and intentional way.

It wasn’t until a major shift in my own life that forced me to re-evaluate who I am and how to best be in service to others. While it was not a physical death that caused this shift, I experienced a deep emotional and spiritual transformation following the death of a life I once knew.

Grief and loss became my teachers as I created meaning and discovered renewed purpose during an otherwise dark and difficult time. I knew after this experience that I wanted to help others do the same.

These experiences led me to hospice nursing and the birth of my Death Doula practice, Awakened Endings. I have cared for people dying from different types of cancer, Alzheimer's dementia, heart failure, lung disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Caring for the dying has taught me that death is not the enemy, but rather a companion who is here to teach and guide us throughout our lives.