they see dead people

Nurses General Nursing

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In my 7 years of clinical nursing experience, I have encountered many incidents wherein dying patients, especially cancer patients in do-not-resuscitate status, would see relatives who apparently were already dead.

Yesterday while I was in a patient's room giving some instructions to the family; the patient, a 56 year-old female, with breast cancer (lungs, and bone metastasis), dying, in DNR status, suddenly raised her hand like reaching for something. Blankly staring at the ceiling, she struggled to speak, thanking her parents whom she said have finally arrived to fetch her so the three of them can fly together. She was pronounced dead after almost 2 hours after that incident.

It's like they were just hallucinating of some sort due to rapid deterioration of mental faculties. But it still makes me wonder why they tend to "see" their parents or other close relatives instead of say, angels or Elvis? :specs:

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

when i was home for the thanksgiving break when i was a junior in college, my grandmother who lived with us, was dying of pneunonia and advanced parkinson's disease. i really hated going back but i had a test given by a professor with an absolutely no makeup exams for any reason whatsoever. the next night, i woke up at exactly 5:38 am and had a weird feeling. i looked out my window, which was normally bright 24 hours a day. just then, it was pitch black except for a bright circle of light. the light gradually faded away. about 9:00am, my mom called and told me grandma had died about twenty to six.

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Specializes in NICU.

My mum was dying from adeno carcinoma of the uterus in a British hospital. I went home when she was admitted. The first day she did not know me, but the next evening she came around and we talked for a while. Suddenly she sat up in bed and said "It's my dad!". I looked down the ward, but didn't see anyone. I'm sure it was her dad, coming for her. She passed away two days later.

Specializes in Critical Care.

The mind does amazing things under duress.

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I had a patient who right before he coded saw a short little bald black man in the corner of the room. The patient that was in the room before him was a black woman, short with short hair who had died the day before. I think people who are dying do see people who are dead. My grandfather claimed to be talking to my dad's uncle...my dad's uncle had been dead for 30 years.

Specializes in psychiatric nursing, med/surg adult care.

When I die, I want to be a soul that comforts the weary and dying just as how nurses are to their patients.

There is something about corners. I've seen the patient in the bed look up or down at a corner and talk. I'm at the point where if they are talking to the corner, I know the end is near.

I think the spirits are there waiting to help them leave.

But it still makes me wonder why they tend to "see" their parents or other close relatives instead of say, angels or Elvis? :specs:

Of course I would be sensitive to a patient's feelings if they reported something like this, but personally I think we see what we want to see. Parents, siblings, Elvis, Baal....

I heard of an interesting study that was launched because of reports of near death experiences. There are many reports of people reporting they were floating above themselves in the ER or OR. So a hospital created a recessed area up near the ceiling and put some pictures in there where only a person up near the ceiling can see them. They wanted to see if any self-reported floaters could identify any pictures they saw while hanging around up there.

I haven't checked the results, but I am betting that no one saw the pictures.

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