Saw my first death in the OR today

Specialties Operating Room

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Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

I was in a different speciality today and saw my first death in the OR. Patient had a ruptured aneurysm and despite 15 units of blood etc, died before our eyes before they could be stabilised. Not nice watching the monitor, waiting for them to die. :sniff:

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

Big hug to ya:hug:

Since I'm on the heart team/vascular team I guess I see a little more of this than the average OR person. Are you new to the OR, any specialty? Are you at a level 1 or 2? To me it's especially harder when our pt is young or something just goes bad, with a rupture you never know if they will make it.

Again..:hug:

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Specializes in OR.

It is never easy having someone in your care die, sometimes though, it may be the better outcome.

My dear father had AAA many years ago now, he is alive, but has a very different quality of life than he

did pre aneurysm.

He is still a wonderful being, though I urge you to listen to Gordon Lightfoot's song "End Of All Time" on his album "Harmony"

This pretty much sums up how I as a nurse & daughter, have grown to accept the complete changed person my father became post surgery.

P.S. I really hope this helps you.. Please listen to the song..

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Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

Thanks for the replies guys. I've seen people die before but I think it was more the waiting for the inevitable that got to me on this one.

I normally work in obs and gynae and have delivered stillborns which is heartbreaking, but at least you are 'prepared' for the outcome.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma, research, OR.

You may have seen hundreds of people die before, but when its a patient under your care you feel like screaming. You have so many emotions, I for one kept replaying the code over and over trying to find my mistakes. I didn't nor did anyone else, you just can't fix dead hearts.

No code is fun, but new nurses should be at least observing if not participating in the code. Any experience is good experience.

I feel we all have a time to go, I just don't want mine happening around well trained nurses, we're just to good nowadays.

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I am grad pn just took my boards yesterday hoping to pass to begin my lpn to adn bridge. Want to be an OR nurse more than anything. That is the one thing I am wondering how I will take. How will I respond to a code and death in the OR and how will i respond to my fellow workers responses. I am sorry for your loss:redbeathe my heart goes out to you. I know as nurses because we have a caring heart it must be hard, but as an aspiring OR nurse, do you ever "get use to it?" :confused:

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