Bizarre Reactions to Death

Nurses General Nursing

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I was trying to think of a gentle, positive, and non-offensive way to start this thread, but... it's true. I've witnessed some really bizarre reactions to patient's deaths: by family, by staff, by physicians.

A dark subject, but interesting.

The first bizarre incident that comes to mind was when the adult son of a patient came to the unit after the rest of the family called to let him know the father had passed. The family kept saying "he's gonna freak out" repeatedly. Well, that's nothing new. Yet, he DID freak out.

As soon as he entered the unit and saw the family in the room gathered around the father, he dropped to his knees, let out this blood-curdling YEEEEEEE-AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!, got up, ran around the entire unit like he was racing Flo-Jo, burst out of the exit doors (setting off all kinds of alarms), ran down the steps to outside, flung himself into the grass and started eating the grass. WTF?!?

I am quite sure there are others who have witnessed bizarre reactions also.... :coollook:

Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

well, not really a death story but was once delivering a baby- you know the head is crowning etc and the father arrested! so there was I catching the baby surrounded by the crash team! the mum was screaming and the noise was awful........the dad survived but it was hairy to say the least! our delivery rooms are very small and there were a lot of people in it that day!!!

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Specializes in Mostly LTC, some acute and some ER,.

Well m only strange reaction to death is me. I hear things like the night of the death that remind me of that patient. Something that I heard often aound that patient. I hear it as clear as day. I cover my ears, and it still doesn't go away.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I called a woman that her husband had died. She calmly said she wanted to see him before we took him to the morgue. She came in and cussed him out. "You were a mean SOB, b*stard, I've always hated you and hope you rot in hell...on and on". She was in her 80s a little frail thing. She then quietly left without a word.

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Originally posted by baseline

We recently had a pt die in the Cath Lab. She was really very old...but the family had insisted on this procedure....long story....

At any rate....she died on the table, and the family ...after agreeing that the cath was a bad idea after all......became very upset that they couldn't just take Granny home....in the car.....like...now........:eek: Seems they wanted to put her in the back yard with the rest of the family.................:uhoh3:

Anyone remember the original "Vacation" movie with Chevy Chase? Where they strapped the dead aunt in a lawn chair onto the top of the station wagon? Maybe this family wanted to do the same thing.....:chuckle

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Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

I called a woman that her husband had died. She calmly said she wanted to see him before we took him to the morgue. She came in and cussed him out. "You were a mean SOB, b*stard, I've always hated you and hope you rot in hell...on and on". She was in her 80s a little frail thing. She then quietly left without a word.

gawd, that's sooooo sad.....

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My first reaction was the same as yours, Sleepyeyes.

My second reaction was I wonder what things she had to endure at his hand during their lives together. I would love to hear her side of this story!

I haven't been in this long enough to have any strange death stories. I work in a nursing home now so I see a lot of crying and that is about it. I did have a nurse once that was absolutely particular about the post-mortem care, the beadspread had to be the right color and folded down exactly the right length.

Leigh

Leigh

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Reminds me of a 70 yr old lady whose husband we just had in our ICU. He was 85, dying of liver cirrhosis with multiple complications & sepsis, on high doses of 2 vasopressors, 100% O2 by mask & looking like he would code any moment - but she repeatedly refused to give consent for DNR. Never left his bedside. One of the RNs noted how committed she seemed to be to the pt & asked her how long they were married. The wife revealed that she had once been married to the most wonderful man, had 3 children & was widowed at age 22. Her family went back to their old town in Italy to find her a new husband & came back with this older guy who turned out to be a mean, unhappy, depressed, abusive, cruel man who tormented her for the last 50 yrs. Even had all her property (brownstones in Brooklyn)put in his name alone. Divorce was not an option so she had to put up with it & live a difficult life in a lonely, painful marriage. The woman told her the whole sad story. The nurse asked her how she could find it in herself to be so devoted to a man who had hurt her so much. The woman didnt answer & just sat there looking at the pt. A little while later, she called the RN back over, asked for the DNR form to sign, and requested he also have a DNI order. Then she asked for directions to the hospital chapel & finally left the bedside. The pt died on the next shift.

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Wow. Sounds like she wanted to watch him suffer for a change, felt some relief after telling her story and got closure. How sad.

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Originally posted by RN2B2005

...The guy who did the eating grass thing, does anyone else think it's possible that he was putting on a show for the other family members?

They were used to it. None of them went downstairs for the grass eating and they seemed more pizzed off than anything. :chuckle

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That's very sad.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

from deep in the heart of texas.

Ive been in this so long now that I dont consider much of anyhting to be wierd anymore. I just mark it up to cultural, and ethnic and heritage, and whateveresle backgrounds. Bur I have seen some doozies of reactions. Like a group from one church present at a members death all were rolling all over the floor foaming at the mouth and speaking in tongues must have been between 75 to 100 of them here. It brought activities in the ER to a screeching halt, completely. But I really think Ive seen it all.

I love the way it upsets the young MDs, they keep telling me to get everything under control and sometimes in this world you just have to sit back and respect other peoples belief systems and experiences.

doo wah ditty

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Seen all kind of different reactions, the "normal" one, crying, screaming etc., but also cursing and relieve.

One of the most impressive experiences was the one on NICU, where a child (immature and with multiple birthdefects, probably due to marriage inside the clan for ages) died and the whole Roma clan was there.

They slept in the hospital, on the floors, in parking-lot everywhere, on the night before and were all present at the moment this child died.

They lit candles in the room, hold the child (all of them, up to 50 people) cuddled and kissed it, said prayers and blessed it and then left.

The sad thing was, that the childs' mother was banned from the clan, because this was the 2. child she lost. (and she was very young, about 16 or something)

But we were all very impressed with this (for us) unusual behaviour towards death.

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