Dead bodies?

[relgis15]

Last night we had four codes. All of them ended badly (Patients died). One of my functions is to bring the bodies to the morgue, and this was my first time handling a dead person. I had to tag them and put them in a bag etc. I'll be honest, it gave me the creeps. I was acting like it didn't bother me, but on the inside I was a wreck. I hate to say it but the more people that died last night, the easier the job became. The real hospital is nothing like Grey's Anatomy makes it seem lol

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

I have A LOT of experience preparing bodies for the morgue. As mentioned by others, I talk to the resident while I'm cleaning them. It does help.

I work long term care and Hospice for the VA. Many of our residents have been here several years. When they pass away it is especially hard on me but I find some comfort in knowing they trusted me and knew I was there for them. Our residents tend to die in 3's. The rule of 3 is like clock work here. Sometimes we lose 3 in one day or 3 in a week.

I also worked Hospice and I loved it. It is particularly gratifying to help give someone death with dignity. There are good deaths and bad deaths and the majority of the time our Hospice patients had good deaths.

Since I worked in a beautiful free standing facility our patients were always picked up by the funeral homes after the PM care so I didn't deal with the morgues then.

But I wanted to comment on the rule of 3..I burst out laughing when I read that...because it's so true. I know you may think, hey, it's a hospice, of course they will die...and there will be 3....but this would be a very specific pattern...as soon as the first one would go...we would start looking around for who would most likely be the next two.....it was funny, not like haha but strange....

And to the posters who are afraid of the dead....please try to get over that...just like BIRTH....DEATH=it's part of life.

[Libitina]

When I do post-mortem care it helps if I talk to them as if they are still alive and I'm caring for them... such as; "Mr. Jones, I am going to turn you now so I can clean your back and get you nice and clean" It helps..

This is what I do too.

[Kakarot]

I like that. Thanks.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

This reminded me of something that happened long ago while I was still a student nurse. My patient died and and for some reason there was no "special gurney" to take the patient to the morgue. The nurse told me that she had had a plan. We prepared the body and put him on a regular gurney and brought a sheet up to his neck but left his head uncovered. We then placed a washcloth over his forehead. I was instructed to just act normally and I assumed as if the pt was still alive. We then got on a regular elevator visitors and all and transported the patient to the morgue. That was one quiet elevator ride. To this day I thought that was a bad idea. Imagine running into a family member or friend on that ride!

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

When I used to prepare the dead for transport to the morgue I also treated them with the utmost respect. I used to pretend they would above me viewing the preparation.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Wow. I had no idea nurses were responsible for transporting the dead to the morgue. Not something I will be looking forward to.

Not only transport... clean , bag, and tag.

Then play diplomat with security to unlock the morgue and assist with transfer to morgue gurney.

It's such a glamorous job.

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

I will never forget my first pedi death. I was working as a CNA in L&D during nursing school, and a pt delivered a baby with anencephaly. The mother did not want to see the baby, so the nurse assisting with the delivery swaddled the baby and then put him in the dirty utility room next to the sink...he was still alive. I knew that he would die within a few minutes, but I COULD NOT come to terms with just leaving this baby in a metal basin next to the sink. I asked the nurse if I could just hold the baby until he stopped breathing (she had to walk right past me when she left the dirty utility room) and she just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Whatever you want to do, Canes."

I held that baby for the 15 minutes it took for him to take his last breath, and I cannot put into words how difficult that was. The only peace that was bestowed upon me that day is the fact that HE WAS HELD. :redbeathe

Bless you, that story just made me tear up. Thank you for caring so much!

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

This reminded me of something that happened long ago while I was still a student nurse. My patient died and and for some reason there was no "special gurney" to take the patient to the morgue. The nurse told me that she had had a plan. We prepared the body and put him on a regular gurney and brought a sheet up to his neck but left his head uncovered. We then placed a washcloth over his forehead. I was instructed to just act normally and I assumed as if the pt was still alive. We then got on a regular elevator visitors and all and transported the patient to the morgue. That was one quiet elevator ride. To this day I thought that was a bad idea. Imagine running into a family member or friend on that ride!

Lol that nurse must've been a fan of Weekend at Bernies!

[laKrugRN]

I remember during one of my clinical rotations a patient died in ICU. Me and one of my fellow classmates were in charge of transferring him to the basement morgue. We literally had to put him in the fridge. They bagged him and put him in the special gurney. We headed out. We got on the elevator (there was only one and it was the public one) A guy was on there and said "ooh is that food under there?" I just said "no" and kept looking straight ahead. He asked again and tried to lift the sheet. I GRABBED his wrist and said "Sir, there is a body under there. Show some respect!" His face went WHITE. My classmate was holding back her laughter. They guy got off on the next floor.

[toomuchbaloney]

Lol that nurse must've been a fan of Weekend at Bernies!

At least they didn't staple the washcloth to his forehead!