Help with assignment? Death and Bereavement Interview

mustlovepoodles, RN · Apr 19, 2009

hello all
i have an assignment due next week to interview a nurse who has considerable experience with death. if anyone would be willing to help me at all, i would appreciate it soooo much!
here are the questions:
1) tell me about the first time you saw a dead person.
i had seen grandparents, but the first time i saw a dead person at work was when i was 18, working as a cna. i was making my rounds at midnight and came across a 96yo lady who had died in her sleep.
2) what were the circumstances, how did you feel, and how did you respond?
since she was very old and had terrible contractures and could no longer eat, i felt relieved for her. i called the charge nurse, who incidently was very snide about it("how do you know she's dead?" duh. no heartbeat, she's cold as a refrigerator.)
3) what allows you to handle so much exposure to death, and how do you cope?
it depends. when its someone who is living with terrible pain or wasting away, i feel sad for them while they are living. when it happens suddenly and unexpectedly, or is a child, i feel very upset and i cry with the family.
4) what training did you receive for your job?
my current job does not include people dying(usually--i'm a school nurse. i've had a few close calls.)
5) did you receive training in greif counseling?
i did when i worked in nicu. we had a 97% survival rate, which meant that we did have babies die sometimes. everyone on the postpartum units had grief training.
6) would you say something about viewing the body? e.g., under what circumstances would you recommend not viewing a body?
when the body is severely distorted or macerated. when the death is peaceful it just looks like they're asleep, although the face is slack and often the mouth will hang open.
7) should children view a dead body?
that depends on the age and understanding of the child, the circumstances of the death, and how well the adults are managing their own grief. i don't recommend that children view the body if the adults are screaming and ultra-emotional. it makes death seem fearsome. my own children attended their grandfather's funeral and had no problem with viewing to body.
8) what do you find to be the most difficult deaths?
children, young mothers, people with no family
feel free to add anything that might be relevant.
thank you for your time! :redpinkhe
marian

good questions

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2009

]1) Tell me about the first time you saw a dead person.

]

]On the job or ever? The first dead person I saw was my step grandfather's sister. She threw a stroke, and everyone was sitting around the bed in the nursing home, talking. I was watching, and saw her stop breathing. No one noticed until I started screaming. I was about 5 or 6.

]

]First on the job was my 3rd day of orientation. My patient had a 'friend' bring her cocaine, she overdosed, coded and died.

]

]2) What were the circumstances, how did you feel, and how did you respond?

]

]It was my first code, so mainly I watched. I remember feeling completely helpless. I really, REALLY hate drug dealers.

]

]3) What allows you to handle so much exposure to death, and how do you cope?

]

]Most of the time, death is a blessing for my patients -- usually they are elderly, have very serious health issues, and are in a situation where they are not going to get better. You see it as the end stage of life, not the end stage of cancer, or COPD, or CHF, or whatever. I try my best to make their blessings calm and peaceful, keeping them clean, repositioning for comfort, keeping their mouth moist, medicating for pain, keeping them on O2, etc.

]

]4) What training did you receive for your job?

]

]I'm an LPN in a RN program. So I had the standard school work. My only "training" in patient death was my preceptor saying, "Don't you DARE drop a dead person." I remember the first time I did post mortem care being so complete surprised as to how floppy they are. I then realized how easy it would be for one to slither off the bed if you're having to clean up a final bowel movement, emesis, etc., and turning them back and forth. And, oh...dear...GOD, putting someone who weighs 400 pounds in a body bag (we have to use a "special") and trying to get them from bed to cadaver transporter and into the fridge downstairs (we have to tie their arms to their body, they almost don't fit) is horrible. And we've had some so big they didn't fit in the fridge, and we have to tell the funeral home about the weight so they bring the right equipment. I also give them the heads up if the victim is really messed up. They're informed about whether or not it's a child when they take the pt data, and also if there's any infection issues -- hepatitis, AIDS, MRSA, encephalitis, etc.

]

]5) Did you receive training in grief counseling?

]

]Nope. We wing it.

]

]6) Would you say something about viewing the body? E.g., under what circumstances would you recommend not viewing a body?

]

]Crush injuries, burns to the face, decapitation. Families want to see the face; if there's no face, it's just going to traumatize them. However, if a person insists, I let them. Sometimes, you can imagine something worse than the reality.

]7) Should children view a dead body?

]

]Depends on the age and the circumstances. We had a patient who was shopping with her daughters, had an major vessel in her brain burst. Blood poured out of this woman's ears, mouth, and the daughters saw their mom seizing and bleeding. She passed away, and I think it helped them to see her clean and calm.

]

]8) What do you find to be the most difficult deaths? Easy. Death of a child. I think anyone involved with a Code "Pink" should be given the option of a sedative and a cab ride home. You'll never forget zipping the bag shut over the face of a little kid. It's horrible beyond words.

]

mgrand · Apr 20, 2009

Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful answers. You have been very helpful!

Marian