First Year Nursing - Scared of Death

NurseGuy30 · Feb 23, 2011

FWIW, which is probably not much, I started my healthcare career as a tech on an oncology floor. I was on-and-off depressed for some six months.

Now it honestly doesn't bother it much. For me, death just took some getting used to. It's a part of life, the patients would still die if I was elsewhere, and I can make their final experience just a tad better for them. It's something we all have to do someday.

So my advice: go through that fire, and get used to it. It'll lighten up. May not help at all, just FWIW.

sandi1743 · Feb 23, 2011

back when i was in my first UG and planning on going to medical school - i did hospice for my pt interaction and care. i grew up in a home where death was never hidden and talked about as a part of life - babies are born and people die. Why did i pick hospice? i figured in medicine i would experience death and would rather have "good" experiences to reflect upon that were not family related. it served well as i worked in oncology as a researcher and i did experience deaths that were hard on me. is there a local hospice organization near you that could help you come to terms with this fear and upset? *hugs* i give you total credit for being willing and looking for help to accept this.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

Hello!
I'm a first year nursing student and I'm scared of death, dying, and deceased persons.
I have a phobia, real anxiety when it comes to this and this is making me second guess my career choice. I love doing all the other things associated with learning about nursing, I want to be a nurse but I am scared that I won't be able to deal with this.
I have never seen a dead person, not even at a funeral home and I have a overwhelming fear of seeing a dead person or having someone close to me die.
I have thought about going to counseling but I don't really know what this anxiety stems from.
My teacher told me to think about if this is the right career path for me. It made me really upset because I have worked so hard to get where I am in nursing school.
Has anybody dealt with this before? Am I crazy for wanting to still be a nurse?
Thank you!

I was this same way, except it wasn't the fact of actually seeing a dead body that bothered me. It was death in general, bonding with someone and losing them. I had never lost anyone close to me before. I had known a couple of people that died. On a more associate level though.

My first semester of nursing school I dealt with my first patient death. I actually wrote a post about it that I will find and link for you. I went into depth about the feelings I had that went along with it. Since than I have had a few more patients die and it has gotten a little easier. It's not a bad thing to care. The thing I had to do was instead of looking at death as a taboo thing, look at how I could make my patients quality of life better. We had a really good death and dying seminar and their are some wonderful books out there on the subject. It has changed my whole perspective on patient care and dealing with these situations.

As far as losing someone you're close with, last month I lost my younger brother. He was the closest person I have ever lost. I don't think I have fully accepted it yet or dealt with it. I have tried to just focus on getting through my last semester of school. I am not really sure what advice to give their as at least for me, it's a lot different than losing a patient. Even a patient I cared about and bonded with. I think most people share your fear in losing someone close to them. It's not something I would think anyone would be ok with even if they are well prepared, if you are close with the person, it's going to take it's toll.

But as far as your nursing goals, I don't know what you are capable of handling and what you aren't, but I do know we do tend to be stronger than we think we are at times, when push comes to shove, you can take this anxiety and turn it around as far as patient care to make you a better nurse.

Counseling is also never a bad idea. Journaling might work well for you to. Give you an outlet to get these feelings out.

Best of luck to you in your career.

jerep · Feb 23, 2011

Wow! Thank you all for your support and guidance! I was not expecting such kind words.

I am determined to be a nurse because it is something that I feel a strong desire to do. I think you are right, I need to face my anxiety and turn it around.

I know it will make me stronger but I'm still terrified to face it. But I know I can do it.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

Here is the post about my first patient I lost. It's really long and the spelling is probably horrible. LOL But at least you can know you're not alone!

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/getting-attached-patients-472519.html

rn/writer, RN · Feb 23, 2011

Several posts referring to male school nurses have been moved over to the School Nursing thread. It's an interesting idea but it's off topic for this thread. My apologies, as I helped create the detour.

Back to the original topic.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 25, 2011

phobias do not respond well to reason. If possible, I would talk to a REAL counselor or other professional. It may require a minimal of consults to find out WHY you are phobic, if you truly are.

For the record, almost every recovery begins with awareness. You are on the road to recovery.