My Way

Author Joy Nugent has spent three decades in the role of a private, palliative care nurse, being with people at the end of their life—part of a lifetime of caring for others. She left a comfortable life as the wife of a successful orthodontist to follow a calling and vocation.

In My Way: One Nurse’s Passion for End of Life, Nugent shares not only her personal history but also her model for end-of-life nursing. Her career and education spanned many countries, from her home in Adelaide, Australia, to Canada, the United States, the UK, India, Singapore, and Malaysia. She encourages nurses to follow in her footsteps, urging them to become midwives of the soul and to take charge of their own professional lives. Throughout, Nugent details her life experiences and travels and offers recommendations on the attitude, knowledge, and skills essential for building trusting patient-nurse relationships. Although she has had to face many challenges and struggles along the way, she acknowledges that her life has been divinely guided.

This memoir recalls one nurse’s personal and professional life, provides guidance for others in gaining the confidence to die without fear, and advises those comforting them at the bedside.