Deathbed visions

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Have you taken care of any patients who've had any?

The first time I had a patient who was apparently having one was a lady who kept looking straight ahead at the wall & having conversations with someone named Mary that no one else could see. Come to find out from her adult son, Mary was his aunt who was deceased. The patient died a few days later.

Another one was recently. She was an elderly lady who was so weak, she could barely speak and definately was unable to assist us when we would turn her from side to side. Well, while we were all sitting in the nurses station charting and it was quiet, we heard her talking. Her room was beside the nurses station and we kept the door open. We all looked and the lady was SITTING UP IN BED and talking loud enough that we could hear from outside the room. When asked who she was talking to, she said it was a little girl dressed in white who keeps coming to see her. A little while later, the lady was back the way she was before she had that visitor we couldn't see. We told her niece about it the next morning when she came to visit and she said several of their family members have also talked of a little girl dressed in white coming to see them soon before death. That lady also died a few days later.

Neither of these patients had been medicated with anything that would cause hallucinations and neither were confused patients. I've heard of other nurses who've seen these kinds of things happen. Have you?

My grandmother was 94 years old when she died several years ago. And just before she did she used to talk softly to her sister who'd passed on several years before at the age of 96.

Also, I used to work for a lab as a phleb and I drew blood in nursing homes. Lots of MDs would order blood work on DNR patients who were clearly on their way out at any hour with really low BPs and I drew several of them. Some of them spoke to people "in their sleep" while I drew them.

And of the ones who were awake and alert, some of them would even tell me that a certain relative had visited them earlier that day or the day before and then when I happened to mention it to the LVN or family in passing they would say that the patient was hallucinating b/c the relative had been dead for years....

Very interesting subject!

While working in a nursing home I cared for a 92 y/o woman who was a DNR. She was very sweet and always spoke kindly to us even when she had to wait on us to answer her call light on busy days. She began losing weight and was getting weak, her family had been in to say their goodbyes. Soon she was unable to take her pain pills and was getting liquid morphine. I was at her bedside the day she died, her breathing was labored and she was looking up at the ceiling whispering. I asked her "what do you see?" She smiled at me, held my hand and said, "you are so good" then she looked back up at the ceiling and said "you are so wonderful" Her respirations decreased and became more shallow and with that she was gone. I will never forget the look in her eyes, she wasn't just looking at the ceiling, she saw something, her eyes did not lie.

I work in an opposite environment - in labor and delivery - and so I don't see/experience this in that setting. But, my family is what some called "gifted" and so seeing angels, spirits, guides, etc. is an idea that we're used to ;)

When it is our time (or nearing) we are greeted by those who have passed before us, and so it isn't uncommon at all for people to see, talk and feel comforted by those on the other-side. The glassy look decribed - is them seeing beyond the veil of what we see with our physical eyes. Some people who are very sensitive, can communicate in this way on a regular basis. My 8 y.o. daughter is like this (as I also was as a child) and so those closest to death, and those who are newly-born (children) are usually very likely to have these clairvoyant abilities.

I think anyone who has the opportunity to have this "glimpse" and reassurance, is blessed. :loveya:

Specializes in Hospice.

I just wanted to touch base with you about "death bed visions". I have been a hospice nurse for almost 20 years, and worked an inpatient hospice house for almost 1/2 that time, mostly on the night shift. There are no words to express what I have seen and experienced in that time. Please do not ever doubt what your patient's are going through. I have had some very unexplainable things happen where other nurses have thought they "bumped" into someone in a dying patient's room, when there was no one else there, a clinically brain dead (yes proven by tests) patient has not only climbed out of bed, but spoken to his "mother" and brushed her hair with his hand. All of this witnessed at a distance, and verified with another nurse (two different nurses in two very different circumstances). I could go on and on. Take it for what it is. Unexplainable, yet we are blessed to be able to experience it with them. Do not EVER tell these patient's or families that they are hallucinating, or that it is a chemical imbalance, or "medications". The patient who was clinically brain dead had zero meds in his body for 3 weeks. Someday, perhaps we all will go through this, and let's hope that the persons caring for us will understand and not judge us. It has nothing to do with religion, and everying to do with humanity, and the circle of life. I tell my patients and their families that just like we are waiting here for the babies that are about to be born into this world, others are waiting "on the other side" for our loved ones to cross over. God bless each and everyone of you for taking care of the people you do. If you ever lose your compassion do everyone a favor and get out of caregiving. Take care, HeavensNurse...

My Thai husband passed a year ago. He had cancer of the liver. I had him brought home from the hospital ICU as neither of us wanted him to pass in an clinical environment. We both wanted him to be amongst his dogs and birds with the lovely trees outside our beautiful house here in Thailand.

He was home just three days before he passed. On the second day I caught him in conversation, in Thai, laughing and chatting, with pauses for responses, with someone unseen. I asked him who he was speaking with. He looked at me a little surprised, as if I'd just interrupted his conversation.

At the time I'd been in contact with an American nurse who'd been in Asia for many years. I told her he was vehemently refusing any meds and she told me to butter a morphine capsule and administer it rectally. I'd told her about the 'conversation' and she said 'it was the toxins in his liver making him a little crazy, and that he wouldn't be aware of anything. Why just the one 'conversation'? The day before he passed? The hospital had told me he'd probably had this severe onset of cancer for about a year!

He smiled when I inserted the capsule :D, and tapped his foot to his favourite CD right up until he passed the next day.

And so yes, I very much agree with the former poster. 'Hallucinations' too pat an answer.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Surgery.

I once had a female patient who was in the process of passing away. She had a such a look on her face as she said, "Oh, how beautiful!" I had no idea what she was seeing, but I knew it must have been something indescribable and wonderful. She then looked at me and told me she loved me (I told her I loved her too) and then she looked at her daughter, who was also at her bedside and told her she loved her. A moment later she passed peacefully. I have taken care of many dying patients but none of them affected me the way that experience did. I will always remember it. :redbeathe

I don't know how to send a private message :! and I'd like to ask a question. My father died recently (cancer). Something spiritual seemed to happen as cancer progressed (virtually his family members would pray for something, the answer would come from other family members that were unaware of original prayer). Anyway, this seemed relevant to my father's preparation for death (he was angry with God and had some unfinished issues--these incidences eventually seemed to pave the way to acceptance/forgiveness of some sort.) Anyway, I'm desperate to understand how important specific religion at death. It seems that nurses often view patients of all faiths having similar positive visions. I'd really like to know if nurses (based on experience) feel a certain faith is necessary for a positive, spiritual/supernatural (talking to dead people, seeing angels, etc.) death experience . Or does it seem that "God" makes himself visible to all at death? And what about evil experiences (those that are fearful or see "demons")? I know this is a loaded question, but I'm asking as many nurses as I can. Trying to understand my dad's death seems to be a major part of my healing process. Thanks so much!

Specializes in Med/Surg.

I've never had a pt with visions before they die, but *knock on wood* I have yet to have a pt die on my shift. We do have one room where it seems that people who are in the dying process or have a terminal diagnosis seem to be afraid of the painting on the wall. This has happened multiple times and it seems to be very upsetting to the pt. (The painting by the way is a landscape and is in several other rooms as well, but never had a complaint about it in any other room). Recently had a pt admitted with pancreatic cancer, pretty advanced, went in to do bedside report at shift change and found the pt's husband trying to hang a sheet over the painting, I asked what he was doing and he said his wife asked him to do it because she didn't like it. Knowing the history of the room I arranged to have her moved a couple rooms down where she stayed without incident before being transferred to hospice.

I wish I knew what it was these pts who are in their right mind are seeing in this painting, or maybe I just dont want to know.

Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
I've never had a pt with visions before they die, but *knock on wood* I have yet to have a pt die on my shift. We do have one room where it seems that people who are in the dying process or have a terminal diagnosis seem to be afraid of the painting on the wall. This has happened multiple times and it seems to be very upsetting to the pt. (The painting by the way is a landscape and is in several other rooms as well, but never had a complaint about it in any other room). Recently had a pt admitted with pancreatic cancer, pretty advanced, went in to do bedside report at shift change and found the pt's husband trying to hang a sheet over the painting, I asked what he was doing and he said his wife asked him to do it because she didn't like it. Knowing the history of the room I arranged to have her moved a couple rooms down where she stayed without incident before being transferred to hospice.

I wish I knew what it was these pts who are in their right mind are seeing in this painting, or maybe I just dont want to know.

I would guess they are perceiving the painting as some kind of a portal to another world....

I've never had a pt with visions before they die, but *knock on wood* I have yet to have a pt die on my shift. We do have one room where it seems that people who are in the dying process or have a terminal diagnosis seem to be afraid of the painting on the wall. This has happened multiple times and it seems to be very upsetting to the pt. (The painting by the way is a landscape and is in several other rooms as well, but never had a complaint about it in any other room). Recently had a pt admitted with pancreatic cancer, pretty advanced, went in to do bedside report at shift change and found the pt's husband trying to hang a sheet over the painting, I asked what he was doing and he said his wife asked him to do it because she didn't like it. Knowing the history of the room I arranged to have her moved a couple rooms down where she stayed without incident before being transferred to hospice.

I wish I knew what it was these pts who are in their right mind are seeing in this painting, or maybe I just dont want to know.

Yikes, I think I'd study that picture with a microscope

Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

I once had a sweet lady looking in the corner of the room. I always ask people what they see when they are able to talk. She looked me right in the eye and said, "Ohhh, don't you see her? She is just beautiful. That little girl playing in the corner over there. She has blond curly hair and big blue eyes, Oh my, she looks just like an angel." I said to her, "no dear she is here for you to see not me." I later told this story to both her daughters when they visited. They looked at each other and at the same time started crying through their smiles.

It seems that they had a sister. A sister that died before either one of them were born. She had blond curly hair, big blue eyes and their mom always said she looked just like an angel.

I have worked in LTC for several yrs, I have seen quite a few things. But at one particular place I worked whenever someone was getting ready to go they would speak of 2 children coming in the room, always no matter what the person would describe the same children. One girl who would tell the resident it was ok to let go and that the little boy would stand near the door because he wasnt suppose to talk to strangers. When someone would tell us about the kids they would pass within 3 days.

At the same place we had an Alzhiemer patient on my unit who would wander about all day. She was strong and ambulatory, but her mind was "out there", well a few times we'd catch her in a residents room and have to re direct her. A couple different times she predicted death. One day that stands out is when she went to this ladies room, and I went down because the resident was hollaring for her to get out. I was gently redirecting her and she kept laughing and saying I wanted to tell her goodbye she is leaving today. I didnt think much of it. Well the lady of whom she was speaking was restless all day, just hollaring for her husband and trying to get out of her wheelchair. Normally her husband was there everyday at 11-ish to feed her lunch. He called that day to tell us he would be there around one, as he had an appointment. We told his wife and she was real upset saying he needed to be there now. Meanwhile the alzhiemer lady came in and said laughing, she is leaving before one. (this is someone who didnt normally even know what time of day it was)...... After lunch, the wife was being transferred to bed for an afternoon nap, just as the aides got her up to move her myself and her husband walked into the room and she had a massive stroke that took her immediatly. Her poor husband was distraught and felt so guilty for being late. He was in the hall while the RN prenounced her dead and the Alzhiemer lady came up and looked him totally serious and said I told them all she was leaving today, and walked away.

I took her much more seriously from then on.

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