Do you attend patient funerals?

Published

I hear mixed reviews on this. Discuss. :)

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Guess I'll be the bad guy again. No. No matter how much I worked with them during their illness, it is still a JOB. Unless I knew them outside of healthcare before hand, no.

I respect that just as much as I would those who differ in their approach. We need to support the right of nurses to be true to themselves in special circumstances like these!

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.
Guess I'll be the bad guy again. No. No matter how much I worked with them during their illness, it is still a JOB. Unless I knew them outside of healthcare before hand, no.

Doesn't make you a bad guy.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I go more often to the visitation but i have gone a few funerals as well.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I freq attended viewings. One DOESN'T need to form DEEP attachments to the pts. It's just something done for a pt or family with which one had a positive connection. I worked LTC so I guess that with the long stays of our residents we develop attachments much like PDN and HH nurses do. Same with kiddos, rehab and 'freq flyers'.

In all the services that I attended, it was always positive. Usually families were sincerely appreciative and moved that someone from the facility cared enough to attend a service. Sometimes I would note other nurses and/or other dept staff, like Social Service or Activities would also attend.

Something that always struck me was that this was an opportunity to view the decedent AT PEACE. So often we see them at the end when they are connected with a tube in every orifice or in pain and struggling. Sometimes WE need the closure experience also.

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As a CNA I worked in LTC and we had a resident who passed. She had no family, the staff of the facility basically were her family/friends. Many of us attended her service and paid last respects to her.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Never have and never will. How can you possibly anticipate the reaction of the family unless you knew them before? I would not want a person from the hospital where my loved one died, to attend the funeral.

One of our managers thought it would boost survey scores if a nurse attended the funeral of our patients who died. We were to take turns as a representative of the hospital. Even if the person was a complete stranger.

That was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard, in the name of Press Gainey. As far as I know, none of our nurses agreed to go.

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I have been to a few. They are usually tough, but the families have always been grateful I was there to support them.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

That BRILLIANT Press Gainey idea, NOT. THAT is probably the most tacky and irreverent idea ever.

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I have once. When I was a CNA. Nice lady. Me and a couple of my friends went to pay our respects to her and support her family.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

I kind of envy those of you who just have no interest and keep it 100% professional 100% of the time... There are a few nurses that I know that have this kind of rare ability, but alas - I do not possess it. :) It would definitely save some heartbreak!

I have gone to two. Both were chronic kids who I took care of for years. It was very emotional for everyone on the floor when they passed, and each time we had a decent amount of nurses attend the services. It is hard not to become attached to these kids and their families when you take care of them for so long, day in and day out. The families have always appreciated us being there.

I know I will go to more in the future. :(

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

In hospice nursing going to the funeral or visitation IS professional, it is often part of the POC for the family, AND it benefits the emotional health of the professional who deals with the death of every patient on a routine and regular basis. Attending funerals is not about putting aside professional objectivity or crossing some boundary.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

At times it is a challenge to just get my mind off of work after I am physically out of the building.

I couldn't imagine taking ( my caring) a step further to go to funerals.

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