Although the title is a little deceiving, because I wasn't actually working when she died.
I had the cutest old lady come in and I did her intake. Her family was very supportive, very nice and loved her very much. She had been walkie/talkie before coming in and didn't come in for anything that would cause swallowing concerns but when I gave her some water she cleared her throat a bit and when she did this a 2nd time I called the doctor for a speech eval because I was worried she was aspirating or on the verge of doing so. The doctor gave me so much pushback and didn't think it was necessary but I pushed back even harder and got my eval. ST did the eval and put her on nectar thicks and a dysphagia diet.
I cared for this lady for a few days. When I got back in 2 days later I saw that her name had been removed from the board, I figured they'd found a place for her to go but the doctor pulled me aside and said she had aspirated and died :/ She told me I'd done everything I could and her family was very appreciative of my care. I also had found out she was DNR so pushed to get that in her chart, "just in case" so she was able to go peacefully when it was decided she wouldn't likely recover.
I'm just kind of sad over this. She wasn't a long-term patient but her and her family really touched me.
Thanks for reading. I just needed an outlet where people would understand
Death of a pt is never easy. You did the right thing did all that you could, some nurses wouldn't have caught such difficulty swallowing right away. I agree that sobbing with the family is not the professional way to act. Letting a tear or two slip by is one thing but otherwise the family needs you to be their rock during their time of grief. I don't have trouble with the deaths of my residents except when the family gathers Me in for a hug and cries on my shoulder. It takes everything I have at that point to hold back the tears And be strong for them.
As an NICU nurse I've seen many deaths. Our premies stay for quite a long time and suffer many illnesses. We tend to bond with the parents. When that baby does die we don't sob but I can say for certain their is not a dry eye in the unit. Showing compassion will make a mark on their lives forever and they are forever grateful. So no I don't think it's unprofessional to show compassion.
OP I am sorry to hear about your loss. I congratulate you on taking such good care of your patient.
I would disagree about crying in front of families. I think its OK to shed a few tears in front of them. We are all human and it lets the family know its OK to cry and shows how much you care.
misstrinad
84 Posts
Death of a pt is never easy. You did the right thing did all that you could, some nurses wouldn't have caught such difficulty swallowing right away. I agree that sobbing with the family is not the professional way to act. Letting a tear or two slip by is one thing but otherwise the family needs you to be their rock during their time of grief. I don't have trouble with the deaths of my residents except when the family gathers Me in for a hug and cries on my shoulder. It takes everything I have at that point to hold back the tears And be strong for them.