So, as an introduction & my FIRST FORUM :)) here on allnurses.com, I'm an aspiring nurse; it's a career change for me at 30 years of age. I'm thinking it's prudent to begin working as a CNA before I get into nursing school.
Here is my MAJOR concern: I can't do post mortem care. Before you tell me that likely somebody will be doing that to me someday & we all deserve it, I'd like to say that I don't doubt you & although it's a dirty job in some opinions, somebody's gotta do it. Care of deceased individuals would scare the living daylights outta me, depress me, and god only knows what else.
What I'm asking is - is it possible to have work as a CNA & never do post mortem care? I'm assuming that if this is a possibility, then likely I'll be working in a hospital, not a nursing home?
I regret that I'm not one of those people that can look beyond death to just do the job. Sadly, that's not something I can get beyond, regardless if the job required it, that's why I'm asking you all.
I think in CNA classes you go thru an Anatomy portion where you will be in the cadaver lab (at my school you do) and I have found a completely different feeling being around dead people. Now I know doing post-mortem care will be different since it would be for a patient that you cared for....but if it's the dead body that you think will bother you you might be surprised. I'm actually in a regular Anatomy class right now and I can totally see where you'd get to a point of just doing your job...taking care of your patient.
I can understand that. I don't think you can say you'll be scared until you find yourself in that situation. It may be something that you can deal with professionally and then break when you get home. I worked in L&D briefly and that really changed me in many ways. Post-mortem care is quite different with a baby than an adult-at least to me. I really applaud you for becoming a CNA first. I think every RN should start as a CNA, though CNA' s get much more respect than when I went through. Try to keep in mind, if the situation presents itself, that you are a professional who has had specific training on dealing with the situation. You know that you know what to do and you perform almost by rote. Good luck, I believe in you, just keep on keeping on!!
I have been a STNA for almost 5 years and have never done post mortem care. I have taken care of the dying who did pass the shift after me and I have helped with others but have not done it myself.
I guess I think it could scare me b/c I've never seen a deceased individual, nor do I have any experience w/ death & dying. I suppose it's the fact that I'm ignorant of the matter b/c I've never been involved w/ it. Not that I think I'll be haunted by the people I'll be doing PMC to, but it's just a bit freaky to a rookie. Make sense? I don't have a problem w/ body fluids or waste, though.
I like your honesty! :)
Most of us in class have had to overcome something we were afraid of, be it in lab or in clinicals. With me, dealing with contractures (bent limbs for the newbies :)) has been the hardest. I'm always afraid I'm going to hurt them, or move them the wrong way. But after a few of them, and getting to know the patients with them, it got easier and now I'm at the point where I don't think twice. You can do this if you put your mind to it. Don't give up!
You can do it, you will do it and you'll wonder why it was such a big deal. I have done PM care only twice. Mind you I had never even been to a funeral the first time. Here's the thing.. I can not go near a casket. I get in line and wham... have to turn around. But when I had to help my pt get to her final rest with dignity, I didn't even think twice. I was alone, I cleaned, dressed, and bagged for the morgue. I was 22 years old. I'm pretty sure you can handle it. As a society we always fear death...sometimes it should be embraced.
As a nurse aide I've had to do post-mortem care in the nursing home and hospital. It's no big issue to me.
However, I did find it upsetting when a fellow patient care aide at the hospital didn't want to properly perform her duties when her patient died. One of which included inserting the deceased's dentures. Geesh!
This is one of those things that can be absolutely terrifying your first time. It's something that you just gotta get in there and do. I don't think that dealing with death will ever get easier, but you will become more comfortable with it.
This will be the toughest part of nursing for me. I watched my Dad die of cancer. I was their holding his hand as he passed away. He was only 52. I don't know if I should go into nursing? Could I handle it?
This will be the toughest part of nursing for me. I watched my Dad die of cancer. I was their holding his hand as he passed away. He was only 52. I don't know if I should go into nursing? Could I handle it?
That's impossible to tell until you 'get your feet wet'. Some of my classmates have gone through the last moments of parents', spouses and even childrens lives and I believe that gives them an edge on some nurses. If you can survive nursing school, think of what your experiences will mean to your patients and their families. You've been where they are and you know so intimately what they're going through; there are times when that means more than all the skills in the world.
If you can handle getting through nursing school (which is brutal, I won't lie) you would be such a great asset to nursing. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers, just by considering nursing school says a lot about your heart and I wish you the very best. :)
It depends on where you work but you probably won't be able to get out of it. I was nervous at first but really it's not all that big of a deal. When I do post mortem, especially in the ICU, I always remember the family and I want to make the pt look good for the family so they have a good last memory of them.
When my grandfather in law died, the nurses or techs or whoever did his postmortem made him look peaceful and comfortable which left me with a good picture of him. I will be forever grateful for that and I want other families to have the same experience.
It's never totally easy to do post mortem, especially if it's on a young person. The hard part about it is when you are doing it, you are seeing your own mortality staring you straight back in the eyes and for some it's hard to manage and can make people uncomfortable.
I wanted to share with you my experience with death. My father died in July of this year. He died of cancer, sepsis and bleeding to death. He was in the ICU unit of the hospital. When I realized he was gone - I remember this overwhelming feeling of wanting to take all of his iv's out (he had a pic line and also 2 arm ivs)... He was also restrained because the sepsis put him into an delirium. I removed his restraints.... I didnt get to remove any of his other things because I was concerned about my mother (she was having a severe breakdown as you can imagine).... But I remember it bugged me that I didnt get to remove the things that he himself had tried to rip out hours before in his delirium.
I wish I could have. I am grateful that someone did do it.... So now - I actually look forward to doing post mortem care for those who have lost the battle with life.... To me it isnt just a nursing duty - but an act of love and respect..... You are preparing that persons temple for whatever is to come after they leave you care.... You are saying good bye.... Even if you didnt know them - it is a very personal moment.... A time to say a prayer in your head (if your religious), a time to be grateful for the life you and your family lead, and a time to be grateful that someones suffering has ended.
I will tell you that this scared me to death too. I am a very emotional person and dying and the finality of it just makes me cry but once you are in that situation and you are doing post mortem care, it's different than the way you imagined. Most people die piecefully and once you've cared for someone and have seen them in pain, it's a relief that you can see them peaceful at last. Good luck!
itsa307
158 Posts
I think in CNA classes you go thru an Anatomy portion where you will be in the cadaver lab (at my school you do) and I have found a completely different feeling being around dead people. Now I know doing post-mortem care will be different since it would be for a patient that you cared for....but if it's the dead body that you think will bother you you might be surprised. I'm actually in a regular Anatomy class right now and I can totally see where you'd get to a point of just doing your job...taking care of your patient.