[SusanNC]

I also just saw this post and think the original poster was incredibly compassionate and did the right thing. Several years ago, before I became a Nurse - I was on the other side of things. My siblings and I had just lost our Dad, our Mom became gravely ill, so we were the grieving family that wanted everything possible done to help our Mom so we wouldn't lose her too. At the time, we couldn't see the agony she was in, all we saw was the possibility of a future without her.

Unfortunately for all of us, the Nurses that cared for Mom were overworked, stressed out, treated her like a machine they had to keep running, instead of a human being. Not only didn't they have compassion for her, but they also had none for my siblings and I - I've never felt so helpless in my life. All the Nurses would tell us was - very bluntly - who knows, your Mom might live, she might die. If one of them would have just taken a few minutes to sit down with us to tell us how grave the situation was, a kind word, holding a hand (anything), we could have prepared ourselves to let go, and been able to tell Mom it was ok to go and be with our Dad. Her entire life was devoted to us right up to the end, looking back it's so very sad to think of how much agony she was in, but trying to stick it out because she knew the pain her passing would cause all of us kids.

I was so scared to talk to her about death, she was the brave one that brought it up. She said she wasn't scared to die, just afraid of what came afterwards. I've only been a Nurse for 6 months, but because of my Mom, I realized that dying patients want to talk about death or at least the possibility of it - it's something they have to talk through with somebody and sometimes don't want any feedback, just someone to listen to their thoughts and fears, hold their hand, etc.

I've heard quite a few Nurses complaining about "the families" of dying patients wanting extreme measures performed to keep them around longer. We were taught that the "family" is also under our care - so why not treat them with some dignity and help them prepare for the loss of their loved one instead of complaining about them. I can't tell you how much it would have meant to all of us if my Mom had a Nurse as caring as the original poster. Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

[dinkysam]

Again,
To all of you wonderfully, kind, caring, nurses out there, I cannot thank you enough for all of your kind words and loving support. I am soo excited to be in such a wonderful field and look forward to each and every day that I have such a wonderful opportunity to touch those lives who need it. Thank you and God Bless all of you, His special Angels!