Does it bother you when some one dies on your shift?
I am new to this so ofcourse it does get to me a little bit. It doesnt get to me to the point where I cannot do my work, but it never fails, when some one dies I cry, whether their death was for the better or not. I know that these LTC patients are suffering, and its probably the best thing that can happen to them. I still get sad anyways.
Do you feel being emotional about it is ok. I know that it is good to be strong for the family, but sometimes I can't.
I worked ER for many years and witnessed the deaths of many patients. Some affected me more than others. The vast majority were elderly with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions. Those I really don't recall any specifics.
The younger patients and pediatric patients were far worse for me. Memories of victims of house fires, electrocution, CO poisoning, drowndings, stabbings, GSWs, snowmobile collisions, and MVCs seem to have stayed with me through the years.
We didn't have critical incident stress debriefing back in the old days. We just handled it the best we could. I recall crying for some of them. When a child was killed, I would pick up one of my own sleeping children after I got home and cleaned up. They never knew the theraputic effect that they had on the old man. I hope that they never have to learn. We could sometimes share our feelings with co-workers, especially with a particularly difficult death.
Whatever helps you to cope with the loss of a patient, especially one that you've known and cared for over an extended period, should be practiced. Crying, talking with family members and co-workers, attending funerals, and personal prayers for the deceased are all appropriate coping mechanisms.
Best of luck with your nursing career. Death is a part of life, and patient contact exposes you to more death than the average person. It is still a difficult aspect to the profession.
I think if it's honest, then it's good to show some emotion when a patient dies. When my father died, it was comforting to see the nurses and others that had come to know him had tears in their eyes. He wasn't just someone in a bed to them. It really felt good to know that he had impacted them as well.
I worked in a group home for a couple of years and we had residents die, most of them were DNR's. I have to admit while I felt a little sad, I missed them, I felt no need to cry. The relationship with the clients was very different.
Now I am doing my prerequisites to become an RN and I hope that I will always handle situations with sensitivity and respect. I've seen that in the posts here. Ya'll are awesome!
cbs3143
110 Posts
I worked ER for many years and witnessed the deaths of many patients. Some affected me more than others. The vast majority were elderly with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions. Those I really don't recall any specifics.
The younger patients and pediatric patients were far worse for me. Memories of victims of house fires, electrocution, CO poisoning, drowndings, stabbings, GSWs, snowmobile collisions, and MVCs seem to have stayed with me through the years.
We didn't have critical incident stress debriefing back in the old days. We just handled it the best we could. I recall crying for some of them. When a child was killed, I would pick up one of my own sleeping children after I got home and cleaned up. They never knew the theraputic effect that they had on the old man. I hope that they never have to learn. We could sometimes share our feelings with co-workers, especially with a particularly difficult death.
Whatever helps you to cope with the loss of a patient, especially one that you've known and cared for over an extended period, should be practiced. Crying, talking with family members and co-workers, attending funerals, and personal prayers for the deceased are all appropriate coping mechanisms.
Best of luck with your nursing career. Death is a part of life, and patient contact exposes you to more death than the average person. It is still a difficult aspect to the profession.
Chuck