Patricia O’Connor is an author and retired nurse practitioner who spent more than four decades working in hospice, primary care and palliative care, much of it with seriously ill patients nearing the end of their lives.

Early in her career, Pat served as head nurse at The Connecticut Hospice–the first free standing hospice in the United States–during which time she helped to educate developing hospice programs around the country. She later went on to work in direct care and administration for home care hospices before obtaining her masters degree and becoming an adult nurse practitioner.  

During her subsequent 20 years as a primary care provider in CT, she attained board certification in hospice/palliative care. She worked to  educate other primary care providers in hospice and palliative care and did palliative care consultations for other providers.  

In 2015, Pat moved to New Hampshire to work with the newly formed palliative care program at Concord Hospital. She retired in 2021 in order to care for her father during his final months. 

Pat’s book, Navigating Life’s Final Journey: Conversations, Choices, Resources captures and shares the  knowledge Pat has gained over the course of her career.