Nope, you're not going to die tonight...... says the hospice nurse

[Old.Timer]

I just saw this Johnson & Johnson commercial on TV tonight. I think it is part of their Nurses Heal campaign.

Some believe that it is a "touching" commercial. I however, am not even remotely touched by it; but rather found it unsettling to suggest that a hospice nurse would presume to know whether a patient was going to die that night or not.

Is it just me or do other nurses also think that there is a certain "ick" factor to it?

http://www.adstorical.com/commercial/5015/johnson-johnson-hospice-nurse-tells-a-touching-story-of-berta/

[OverTheEdgeMom]

Right... It's almost a vague implication that *The Nurse* has any control over the patient's time of death. I think Johnson and Johnson's campaign *tries* to portray the nursing profession in a postive light, and they are pretty much the only ones out there doing this, but I get your ick feeling over this one. I like the commerical with the male nurse/child receiving iv med, much better.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

According to the patient was talking about when someone dies, not that she said she was going to die that night.

Perhaps she was overly anxious and needed reassurance.

People can enter hospice while still relatively "healthy" where the nurse can truthfully say that in all likelihood, tonight is not the night.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

As a Hospice nurse i was not pleased with that commercial for another reason........at EOL you can get pretty good about predicting death...... but a hospice nurse would not be trying to keep someone alive or sending a message to a pt that they need to hold on. were more about giving people permission to let go

[Cuddleswithpuddles]

I am sure that, like every other corporation, Johnson and Johnson is looking to improve their cache with the general public by supporting clean, wholesome causes. It does not surprise me, then, that they are more interested in the warm fuzzies for the average Joe than an accurate portrayal of what we do.

[leslie :-D]

in the absence of an active dying phase and its accompanying s/s, the nurse is probably right in her assessment.

(unless of course, berta jumps out the window...hence the hint that the window be open.)

but of course, there are those pts that defy the predictable patterns of dying...so who knows.

i didn't find it touching or icky, sorry.

leslie

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

Have to agree with evolvingrn. Our job is to facilitate the transition not to deny it. Also if a patient said that to me I would take that symbolically. Explore it further. I would NOT shut the window. What if they were anxious about if they did pass that their soul might be stuck in the room?

[maelstrom143]

Liked the story about the window, but not the commercial. I voted it a one star. I think Hospice is a wonderful service and one that is much misunderstood. This commercial does nothing really to enlighten the masses about Hospice's services, which would be wonderful. jmo.

[OverTheEdgeMom]

Maybe Berta was telling that story becasue she wanted to let go and die tonight , and the nurse said "not tonight, berta, not tonight.." implying (imo) "Not on my watch"- hence the ick factor that I think the OP feels.

[PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN]

It's has a noble feel but not realistic.

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

I didn't care for it, myself. I think they could have used the opportunity to promote hospice better.

[blueyesue]

Maybe Berta was telling that story becasue she wanted to let go and die tonight , and the nurse said "not tonight, berta, not tonight.." implying (imo) "Not on my watch"- hence the ick factor that I think the OP feels.

I don't believe that was the intent of the ad. It was more likely said as a comfort measure.