I've seen countless deaths in my time nursing, but I'll never forget my first

I've seen countless deaths in my time nursing, but I'll never forget my first It’s a privilege to be with someone in their final moments, and how we treat those who are dying matters

Our teachers tried teaching us about death during nursing training, but it’s impossible to prepare for your first experience of it. You can learn about the theories, about the principles of pain and symptom control, but that’s only a small element of the real experience.

The first person I saw die was an elderly man who had no family able to visit him in hospital. I was a student nurse and knew I would see death in my career. I had no idea of the impact it would have on me, however. The Guardian