Is this wrong? Death and Dying

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

would it be wrong of an instructor to bring up the fact that she has lost 2 sons? She was teaching a class on death and dying Would that be going overboard? The other students were talking about their losses. Is it wrong for the teacher to talk about her losses? Not in detail, but just talking about it during such a class?

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Not necessarily...as long as she doesn't center the discussion around her experience.

She will be able to share from her experience.

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Specializes in DOU.

Why would it be wrong? My instructors often use personal examples while teaching.

On another note, that poor, poor woman. :(

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i don't see anything wrong with it.

rather, it's an appropriate venue in which to discuss it.

i also think that when one hears of another's similar experience, it enables further camaraderie, knowing that others will understand such losses.

with peace.

leslie

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

that instructor was me. I was evaluated by my boss and she stated it was inappropriate for me to discuss the death of my 2 sons. I just mentioned that I had lost one at 6 weeks to SIDS and my other son was 17 and died in a car accident. Boss told me I was wrong in bringing that up in the class.

I was hurt to say the least.

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that instructor was me. I was evaluated by my boss and she stated it was inappropriate for me to discuss the death of my 2 sons. I just mentioned that I had lost one at 6 weeks to SIDS and my other son was 17 and died in a car accident. Boss told me I was wrong in bringing that up in the class.

I was hurt to say the least.

Your boss was wrong .

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i'm really sorry, porcelina...

your boss is wrong.

while you may not have any recourse, it certainly wouldn't hurt to respond w/a written statement on why you disagree, and have it placed in your file.

wishing you the very best.

leslie

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.
Your boss was wrong .

Thank you, and thanks to everyone. I felt terrible that she would tell me that I was in the wrong for discussing this issue with my students. We were all sharing stories of the loss of loved ones. I still hurt over her comments. But I will go on and I will keep teaching and I will allow it to be part of the conversation. I believe we all have something to discuss and share with each other during such a topic.

:heartbeat:nuke:

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I'm so sorry for your losses, porcelina.

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

I agree.....your boss was wrong. By sharing your personal experience with grief, you are taking a risk.....a risk to expose your pain, to become vulnerable. But by doing this, you make grief real..and others, your students, can learn from this. And they can learn more from this than from reading something in a book.

I'm sorry for your losses. And thank you for caing enough to share.

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I don't think so at all. Our real life experiences make us more "human" to one another. I lost a son at birth and when I have a patient who has a similiar situation and I say, "I know how you feel", I really know how she feels. The deaths in our lives shape who we are just as living relationships do. A class on "Death and Dying" would hold much more merit to me taught by someone who has walked through it in a very personal way. Just my opinion.:wink2:

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I, too, am sorry for your losses. And, I think that as long as the class is not being centered by this, it is appropriate, for the previous reasons posted by other members. Pettiness comes in all levels, huh?

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