Have to write our own obituary

Sleepyeyes · Mar 7, 2003

heck, just make up a bunch of medals, honors, accomplishments--- name a couple of hospital wings in your name, tack on a couple of nursing scholarships, and stuff like you'd like to have finished by the time you're 150 and have hit the Lottery....

(don't worry, if they find it they'll know it isn't you. )

Sleepyeyes · Mar 7, 2003

mine would probably read:

Sleepyeyes, age 109, beloved Med-Surg RN who passed away after tripping over an IV pole cord, knocking over a bedpan, sliding over the floor and out the window of a patient's room, after the pt fell out of bed and accidentally DC'd his IV, making quite a mess on the floor.

Ironically, the pt's Dr. was standing outside the pt's door writing orders for said Pt's DC.

Nurse Sleepyeyes leaves behind a slew of uncharted nursing notes, and a passel of great=grandchildren (who are genetically able to "hold it" for days).

In lieu of flowers, please send a couple of pizzas and a box of Russell Stover to the unit with a kudos for all the nurses who were unable to attend the memorial service because they all got scheduled to work.

:chuckle:

passing thru · Mar 7, 2003

Thats' the best thing I've read on this B B!

passing thru · Mar 7, 2003

Seriously, a young persons' obit is usually NOT very long, 'cause their life was ended prior to their opportunity to achieve a lot.

That's the tragedy of youth deaths. I've seen lots' of one pagers in the newspapers. They are always of a person OF MEANS ($$$). As obits are not free. A few paragraphs can run > $200.

Sleepyeyes gave you good advice. I'd steal a few lines from some recent obits or look up some on the internet. I wish I had my Jackie Kennedy obit copy handy. One of her male friends had a poem in the obit that was a real tear-jerker. He didn't write it, it was from some famous poem...the Odessey or something like it, ..I can't think of it. Maybe I'll be inclined to search the net for it. Anyway, a poem works well. Abe Lincoln's ode to his mother would take up a few lines..."all i am and all i ever hope to be, I owe to my Mother....." Something like that...anyway look up nurse or mother poems...or sacrifice/duty poems...good luck and may you live to have a page-long list of achievements, honors, and compliments!

essarge · Mar 7, 2003

I'm just curious, what class is this for. Seems kind of morbid to me. If I would have to do it though, I would probably think of someone fictional from my childhood like June Cleaver (does that date me just a little or what?). You know...the "perfect" mother of the 60s. I wouldn't write anything about me personally.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Mar 7, 2003

Seems VERY morbid to me. Ugh.

renerian, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2003

It is morbid. I would complain to the college or someone.

renerian

Sleepyeyes · Mar 7, 2003

OK,0K.... we KNOW it's morbid. But as a former English major with daily comp assignments, I think it's a good exercise.

I did a search and found this link about it on the Net. Please check it out, and if you must report that professor, the reason should be "not giving students a proper explanation of the assignment." :chuckle

http://www.salesstar.com/mm110501.htm

jdomep · Mar 7, 2003

We did too last semester and our own eulogy. I went through the nurse paper and found one I kind of liked and customized it to me. I ofcourse, lived till 90 something and was greatly loved by all who knew me

I didn't think it was morbid - it was a neat assignment - heck I bawled when i read my eulogy :imbar

SingingNurse2 · Mar 7, 2003

Writing a eulogy can be a great thing. It forces you to stop and think, "What am I doing with my life?, How have I treated my loved ones? and What do I really believe in?". Maybe I'm being too deep, but I think it is a fantastic exercise in self exploration. When you write it, please post it here - I would love to see what you came up with!

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 7, 2003

I agree that it is a terrific assignment as it encourages the student to think about what they value in life and what they would like their lives to be and become.

When I was in college, I participated in a (now famous) research study in which college women between the ages of 18-22 were asked to pretend to be age 45 and write their autobiographies. The study became known as the "Cinderella study" because the underlying theme of so many of the reponses was that eventually, the participants imagined their futures as including a man who would marry them and make everything wonderful.

Understanding your imagined future can tell you a lot about yourself.

llg