What a wonderful thread. I hope to renew it. Like I posted in one of my threads my dying patient would smile every once in awhile and hold his hands up like he was reaching for something.
Please share any stories. I love to hear about these things. I am such a believer.
I too believe. Some of my coworkers think I am nuts... Oh well such is life
and death. Plus I myself think I am nuts sometimes! :wink2:
I have had many patients that see relatives and talk to them before their passing. I never tell them no one is there, I just tell them I don't see them. I can sometimes FEEL them!!! I mentioned elsewere that I think people are guided to the next world and sometimes I think we (nurses) are the one's they feel comfortable enough with to let go of this world and move on to the next.
And what of patients that are dying, but wait until a loved one makes it to thier bedside?
Recently I had a patient that had been on our unit for a couple of weeks. Her suffering was great sometimes. The family made her a DNR which really was the most humane thing under the circumstances. When it became inevitable that the end of her life was approaching her family gathered. I came on shift. I introduced myself to the patient, now unresponsive and to the family. They questioned when and you can never tell them exactly. They told me that they wanted her to remain long enough for the one child of hers that was not there, to arrive. He was driving in, about 3 hours out. Suddenly I knew when, but I didn't say. I told my coworker that she would die die that shift, but that she was waiting on her son to arrive. All 7 of her other children were there. They told me how devoted a mother she was and that her life was lived for her children. I left them alone, checked in intermittently. Hours later I lookrf and saw, from the monitor at the nurses station, her heart rate had slowed where she had been consistently about 90. I went into the room; the other child had arrived and I watched as she brady'd down and took her last breath. 5 minutes did not pass from the time her son arrived to the time she died.
I'm told that when he got there, he went to the bedside, spoke to her, she opened her eyes and looked at him, closed them again and that was it...I wasn't there at the bedside, but I am sure it is true.
A mothers love and devotion all the way to the end...of life.
hello everyone
i am a night shift lpn in johnson city tn...i work med-surg. floor.
i have been a nurse for 1 yr. prior to that i was a pcp and a phlebotomy coach for 3 yrs. i am 51 yrs young and thoroughly enjoy life. i have 2 grown children and 4 beautiful grandchildren. i am very happy to be here and hope i can contribute something useful from time to time..thank you for reading my intro....
badkatback
welcome
ain't night shift great. come to think of it tennessee is great too!
I have lost 2 patients in one shift as well and once had a reputation that still haunts me to this day - once called the angel of death like another poster (ERNurse752) was.
I like to think those that are ready to pass from this world to the next find a helping soul, someone that they feel comfortable enough with, to let go of this world and move on into the next, like a guide. Kind of a spiritual thing I guess.
Still the loss of patients, even when it is their time can be hard on you.
I work 7pm to 7am and I stay up all night on my nights off, usually! I have tried sleeping on nights off, but find it to wear me out when I change rhythms back and forth...:roll Good thing WALMART is open 24 hours a day. Switching sleep patterns back and forth is hard on your body and you never get your circadians set right. My advice... be Nocturnal!
Working night shift - it's not just a job - it's a LIFESTYLE!
You definately have to let others know you work nights and SLEEP in the daytime, otherwise you don't get much sleep.
and death. Plus I myself think I am nuts sometimes! :wink2:
I have had many patients that see relatives and talk to them before their passing. I never tell them no one is there, I just tell them I don't see them. I can sometimes FEEL them!!! I mentioned elsewere that I think people are guided to the next world and sometimes I think we (nurses) are the one's they feel comfortable enough with to let go of this world and move on to the next.
And what of patients that are dying, but wait until a loved one makes it to thier bedside?
Recently I had a patient that had been on our unit for a couple of weeks. Her suffering was great sometimes. The family made her a DNR which really was the most humane thing under the circumstances. When it became inevitable that the end of her life was approaching her family gathered. I came on shift. I introduced myself to the patient, now unresponsive and to the family. They questioned when and you can never tell them exactly. They told me that they wanted her to remain long enough for the one child of hers that was not there, to arrive. He was driving in, about 3 hours out. Suddenly I knew when, but I didn't say. I told my coworker that she would die die that shift, but that she was waiting on her son to arrive. All 7 of her other children were there. They told me how devoted a mother she was and that her life was lived for her children. I left them alone, checked in intermittently. Hours later I lookrf and saw, from the monitor at the nurses station, her heart rate had slowed where she had been consistently about 90. I went into the room; the other child had arrived and I watched as she brady'd down and took her last breath. 5 minutes did not pass from the time her son arrived to the time she died.
I'm told that when he got there, he went to the bedside, spoke to her, she opened her eyes and looked at him, closed them again and that was it...I wasn't there at the bedside, but I am sure it is true.
A mothers love and devotion all the way to the end...of life.
ain't night shift great. come to think of it tennessee is great too!
I have lost 2 patients in one shift as well and once had a reputation that still haunts me to this day - once called the angel of death like another poster (ERNurse752) was.
I like to think those that are ready to pass from this world to the next find a helping soul, someone that they feel comfortable enough with, to let go of this world and move on into the next, like a guide. Kind of a spiritual thing I guess.
Still the loss of patients, even when it is their time can be hard on you.
:Holly1: Happy Holidays to you all.
I work 7pm to 7am and I stay up all night on my nights off, usually! I have tried sleeping on nights off, but find it to wear me out when I change rhythms back and forth...:roll Good thing WALMART is open 24 hours a day. Switching sleep patterns back and forth is hard on your body and you never get your circadians set right. My advice... be Nocturnal!
Working night shift - it's not just a job - it's a LIFESTYLE!
You definately have to let others know you work nights and SLEEP in the daytime, otherwise you don't get much sleep.