Dying Patient

mamamerlee, LPN · Mar 30, 2010

Well, this is complex. Is the patient actually dying? or near death? Ask the patient what makes her feel as though she may be dying.

Do not commit yourself to yes or no, leave that to her doc or family.

Your patient is probably very scared, and needs comforting. Try to avoid platitudes, address her needs.

Talk to the other staff - has she asked others? What does her doc say?

Best wishes.

heron, ASN, RN · Mar 30, 2010

Asking her what is happening that makes her think she's dying is one place to start.

And keep a close eye on her ... that feeling of impending doom is often the first or sometimes the only precursor of something bad happening.

My next question ... is she? Does she have a life-limiting disease? If so, does she know about it? Is she hypoxic? Is she bleeding? Need a little more context to know where to go with it.

Just don't blow her off ... she's living in her body and her body might know something you don't.

kathy313 · Mar 30, 2010

Asking her what is happening that makes her think she's dying is one place to start.
And keep a close eye on her ... that feeling of impending doom is often the first or sometimes the only precursor of something bad happening.
My next question ... is she? Does she have a life-limiting disease? If so, does she know about it? Is she hypoxic? Is she bleeding? Need a little more context to know where to go with it.
Just don't blow her off ... she's living in her body and her body might know something you don't.

Exactly....When I was working as an aide, I had a patient say that to me, he seemed okay....vs good, no real discomfort, nothing you could put your finger on...very scared though.

He did pass that afternoon and it has remained one of the biggest and most important lessons I have ever learned. He reached out, was frightened and needed someone to listen. I didn't take him totally seriously, I asked why he felt like that and as I said, nothing really concrete. I wish I would have listened better. I wish that I had done more for him. That sticks with me in everything I do today.

Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN · Mar 30, 2010

In my experience, when PTs say they feel like they are gonna die, or that they feel that 'impending doom' that everyone always talks about. I'm on their ass like a hawk cuz most of the time when they say that, they usually code.