Inappropriate comment?

[Gampopa]

I was working with another nurse the other day to help boost a pt in her bed. As we talked with the pt she mentioned how much she missed her husband who had died some 20 years ago. The other nurse then said something along the lines of "Don't be sad! You'll see him again!" The pt asked "Where?" and she answered "You'll see him in heaven!" to which the pt just "harrumphed". I felt that her comment was totally inappropriate but since I am an atheist I thought I might be overreacting and I didn't say anything to her. Now I wish I had. Was I wrong to not say anything?

[caliotter3]

Probably best that you did not make the comment. Hopefully the patient's reaction was all the hint that was necessary to indicate to the nurse that her attempt to make the patient feel better had gone too far. We all put our foot into our mouths, or at least our toes, from time to time. This was probably one of those occasions.

[sevensonnets]

If you had called the other nurse inappropriate in front of the patient YOU would have been inappropriate. If the patient was offended she could have said so.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

If you had called the other nurse inappropriate in front of the patient YOU would have been inappropriate. If the patient was offended she could have said so.

The patient was offended the "Harrumphed" said it all!

OP: If you honeslty care, pull the nurse aside and let him/her know he/she was inappropriate or you can tell the manager. It was offensive because that nurse assumed that 1.) the patient believes in Heaven, 2.) the patient believes her husband is in Heaven, and 3.) that the patient is OK with thinking about her own death at this time.