Challenges of older adults when a loved one was dying: Implications for nursing practice.

•Nurses' attentiveness encourages family guided nursing actions and confidence.•Consistent nurse staffing patterns promote family-staff connectedness.•Family members may miss subtle signs of a loved one's decline and end of life.•Nurses should educate families about the signs of end of life and hospice care.•Story-sharing may promote family comfort and interprofessional connectedness.