A patient passed away last week..

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

Everybody loved him, 92, deaf, could only speak sign language. He was always bright and playful with the staff and his family.

He was put on comfort care and died during my shift. His family (wife and 3 sons) came in and I told them they could take as long as they wanted to say goodbye and asked if they needed anything. I reloaded the comfort care cart - coffee and snacks - and they said they were fine.

A short time later I heard a lot of whooping and hollering coming from their room. As I approached the door, I realized they were watching a football game. I smiled and left them be. A couple hours later they left and we took care of him.

After work, I was talking with a friend of mine and she said she thought it was "weird" that they watched a football game with their deceased family member in the room.

I responded, "I think it's weird when they invite a "magic man" - or woman they often don't even know, then shut their eyes and pretend to have telepathic communication an invisible omnipotent being who is somehow now responsible for the consciousness of the newly departed family member. Heck, this guy and his sons got to watch one more football game together. I think that's amazing and I'm glad I was around for it."

We are responsible for addressing all our patients' spiritual needs. I'm glad to offer the services of a chaplain where needed, but I was extra glad to have witnessed this particular goodbye.

[leslie :-D]

A short time later I heard a lot of whooping and hollering coming from their room. As I approached the door, I realized they were watching a football game. I smiled and left them be. A couple hours later they left and we took care of him.

After work, I was talking with a friend of mine and she said she thought it was "weird" that they watched a football game with their deceased family member in the room.

when did he die?

when the family left, was he still alive when you took care of him?

i'm just confused, since your friend made reference to watching a game with a dead person in the room.

actually, if the family did continue watching the game s/p death, i do find that kind of weird myself.

but i agree that we are to honor the way a pt wants to die.

watching a game together, sounds perfectly wonderful.

leslie

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

"when did he die?"

about an hour and a half before the game started.

"when the family left, was he still alive when you took care of him?"

no. i was referring to postmortem cares.

"i'm just confused, since your friend made reference to watching a game with a dead person in the room."

yep. one last football game together.

"actually, if the family did continue watching the game s/p death, i do find that kind of weird myself."

as i mentioned, i think it's weird to attempt to engage in telepathic communication with invisible omnipotent beings when someone dies.

[leslie :-D]

as i mentioned, i think it's weird to attempt to engage in telepathic communication with invisible omnipotent beings when someone dies.

maybe so, that still doesn't negate the oddity of watching a game with a dead man.

whatever it takes, right?

leslie

[FLArn]

I hope you are able to disguise your obvious disdain for the spiritual/religious practices of your other patients. I also hope the remarks you made to your co-worker -- "I think it's weird when they invite a "magic man" - or woman they often don't even know, then shut their eyes and pretend to have telepathic communication an invisible omnipotent being who is somehow now responsible for the consciousness of the newly departed family member.

--- were expressed in an area that is out of hearing of other patients and families. I find it amazing that Christians (and believers in other faiths) are expected to "bend over backwards" to be "tolerant" of atheists and other nonbelievers but none of them feels statements such as yours would possibly be offensive to believers.

I provide a supportive and non-judgmental place for all my families recognizing that there is no wrong way to grieve and assist all my families to experience their loss in the way that is comfortable to them.

Just my:twocents:

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

I hope you are able to disguise your obvious disdain for the spiritual/religious practices of your other patients. I also hope the remarks you made to your co-worker -- "I think it's weird when they invite a "magic man" - or woman they often don't even know, then shut their eyes and pretend to have telepathic communication an invisible omnipotent being who is somehow now responsible for the consciousness of the newly departed family member.

--- were expressed in an area that is out of hearing of other patients and families. I find it amazing that Christians (and believers in other faiths) are expected to "bend over backwards" to be "tolerant" of atheists and other nonbelievers but none of them feels statements such as yours would possibly be offensive to believers.

I provide a supportive and non-judgmental place for all my families recognizing that there is no wrong way to grieve and assist all my families to experience their loss in the way that is comfortable to them.

Just my:twocents:

Yeah. I gave my personal thoughts on the weirdness of telepathic communication with the supposed creator of the universe to all my patients and family members. I usually just give them a pamphlet telling them they are stupid at the beginning of the shift so there is no confusion.

Of course I didn't. I was recounting a personal conversation away from work I had with a friend. That should have been clear in my OP.

Nowhere did I say I am not tolerant of other views. Heck, I am equally tolerant of ALL views - whether I think they are silly or not.

It's my job to provide for my patients' spiritual needs and I do it extremely well - regardless of the patient's personal beliefs.