If there is such a thing as a beautiful death.....

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A local SNF sent us a 93-yr-old man this morning with ALOC. He slowly went south, ended up on dopa and levo until it was a question about whether or not he would survive long enough to make it to the ICU. I was calling report when I got a message from the other RN to cancel the report, the pt was failing. It was a quiet, painless passing, with four of us (two RN's, a tech, and a clerk) holding his hands or touching his shoulders, talking to him softly as his heart slowed down and finally stopped. We were unable to find his son for hours, and it made me feel good that he did not die alone. If I am not able to be with my parents when they pass, I can only hope someone is kind enough to sit with them as it happens.

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the hospice i worked at for sev'l yrs., had an overabundance of volunteers.

from my experience, i've seen human nature at its' finest when someone is dying.

i'm pleased your pt. went so peacefully.

leslie

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Specializes in geri.

That's nice, Tazzi.

I agree. . . . I hope somebody can be with my loved ones if I can't. Not just someone to watch, but someone to hold a hand. I think it would make all the difference in the world!

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Tazzi, good for you & the others for being with the patient when he passed.

My opinion: we don't come into this world alone, and we shouldn't leave this world alone.

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Specializes in CCU,ED, Hospice.

That is wonderful Tazzi, what a gift to give and to recieve. It's at those kind of times, that I am reminded of why I became a nurse.

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Specializes in Hospice, BMT / Leukemia / Onc, tele.

How very beautiful. Good for you and your co-wrkers to be with this gentleman as he left this life.

I too believe no one should die alone. We have vigilant volunteers that work with our hospice that will stay with a patient around the clock if no family is available when a patient is changing. :heartbeat:

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

I can relate to that good feeling--not only as a nurse with a dying patient but as a step-daughter when I lost my step-mom one year ago yesterday. She was to come to our home with hospice on 5/14/05 but died on 5/13/05 at a nursing home. Her niece and myself were with her, holding hands and holding hers. She went pretty peacefully. It was an answer to a prayer for me; I'd asked that she come home to die or at least allow one of us to be with her. God answered.

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There is such a thing as a beautiful death. We once had a very confused, restless, sometimes agitated resident in the nursing home. She was dying. A nurses aide and I were in her room and all of a sudden she opened her eyes and had this expression on her face. For some reason we each grabbed her hands and started to pray out loud. She closed her eyes and had peaceful tears running down her face. She then died. She went home.

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