24 Questions with Jackie Kai Ellis

When we came across Joan Trinh Pham, who calls herself a hybrid, of artist, modern palmist, and palliative care nurse, we knew we had to meet her. A “meaningful conversations expert”, her favourite things to talk about are hand analysis, death, and dying. But Joan is not going to tell you when you’re going to die. Instead, she’ll read your fingerprints to show you your life’s purpose, and show you how to die awesome, by living a life that’s boundless.

Where did you go to school and what did you study?

I applied to go to UBC to do my undergrad—they still had their straight nursing stream. That was a life-changer because I discovered what the role of a nurse was and how different it was from being a doctor, and the interesting historical pieces around how nurses have contributed to public health and to the role of women. Nursing for me encompasses teaching, because we’re teaching all the time.