As a pre-nursing student the very thought of death and dying might make you anxious right now, but I assure you that dealing with this event will become easier with the passage of time and the accrual of more exposure. Whatever you do, please don't let your fears deter you from pursuing a career in nursing.
NursesAnnouncementsArchiveArticle
Here's a truthful horoscope for you: we're all going to die!
Before we get started, ask yourselves the following question: What exactly is it about death and dying that disturbs you? Once you pinpoint the source of your fears, keep in mind that other people who once had the same reservations have moved on to become stellar nurses with solid careers in the nursing profession. If you cannot identify what it is about death that makes you fearful, that's also okay. It's probably a sign of our modern times. Let me explain further.
In previous generations, death still remained a sad and dreadful time for people who saw family members die. However, the main difference between the past and the present is the fact that death and dying used to be highly visible, very out in the open, expected, and an accepted part of life. During yesteryear, 'passing away' was a personal event when people died at home encircled by loved ones who said their goodbyes. The surviving kinfolk lovingly gave post-mortem care at home in the hours after death.
In the modern 21st century, the vast majority of death now occurs in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. In other words, death has mostly been removed from intimate home settings, so many people fear what they have not seen. American society now does too efficient a job at hiding death from view and this contributes to making death seemingly creepy to some.
Is it bad for you to fear dead bodies?
No. Your fears are actually normal due to the society in which you were probably born and raised. Regrettably, death is all around us, and you will need to become acclimated to it if you plan to work in most areas of nursing. Don't worry, because you'll start to become more familiar with death as you get more exposure. You'll actually be relieved by some deaths and saddened over others. Although death will never be easy on you, it will get easier over time.
What do you do if a patient dies?
It depends on the code status, healthcare setting, and situation. You would immediately call for help if you find a dead or dying patient who is a full code at a hospital. Press that code button, call the rapid response team (if available), lay the patient on a board or hard surface, initiate CPR, and so forth. The sooner you summon assistance, the quicker your patient's room fills with people to help with the resuscitative effort.
Patients who have current DNR/DNI orders are dealt with differently. We want to notify family promptly if the patient is in the process of actively dying. In an ideal textbook world, someone would remain with the dying patient until family arrives to ensure the person doesn't die alone. Dying patients who are on hospice or end-of-life care receive comfort care such as frequent turning, bed baths, pain control, oral care, and other measures to maintain dignity before death. When the patient dies, someone makes a pronouncement of death. In the state where I practice nursing, pronouncing death is within the RN's scope of practice. Some families want to spend time with the body, so we give them time for that.
What happens with the dead body?
The nursing department is usually responsible for post-mortem care such as cleaning the body and rendering the patient fit to be seen by any family members who may want to say goodbyes to their loved one at the bedside. At many hospitals, the nursing department is also assigned the tasks of placing the deceased inside a body bag, attaching toe tag identification, and transporting the body to the morgue.
The mere thought of dead bodies might send chills up and down your spine right now, but I assure you that dealing with death will become easier with the passage of time and the accrual of more exposure. After all, death is a natural part of the circle of life. Don't let your fears deter you from nursing.
