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Discussion

Open a Window

In nursing school, my instructors said that they would open a window when a person died so that his spirit could leave. I thought it was a bit superstitious, but kept quiet.

A little over a month ago, my dad died. It was a cold day, but someone had cracked the window in his room.

Last night, I had my first patient die on my shift. An aide told me that she thought Mrs. M had died. I went into her room and, sure enough, she was gone. Her quick death was a blessing, as she had advanced cancer and only a couple of days in severe pain.

I sat with her, patted her, shed a few small tears, straightened the crucifix she wore and then, because I wanted to do something to honor her being, I opened the window.

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    i have heard that before.. thank you so much for sharing this..

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    Very touching... :redpinkhe

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    Sue, a big hug... dear you... Yup the same custom here also... much more three days we let milk and water glasses on the window border and cover the mirrors... the soul of dead person stay 41 days close to top of the house looking.

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    Very touching and thoughtful on your part ....I'm from Louisiana, the land of superstitions and I've never heard of this!!! I must investigate...:D

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    I have never heard of this, either, very interesting. Now, I live in Alabama, and have heard to put a knife under the bed of a laboring woman to "cut the pain".

    I love these old prescriptives.

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    I'm in the northeast, in upstate NY, near Canada and New England. But my dad died in Staten Island, part of NYC.

    Maybe this is a northern thing?

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    That is a nice tradition. It sounds as if you were very thoughtful for your patient and their passing. Where I live, in the Southwest, at the base of an Apache Reservation, we do not open windows at all, even after they have passed. It is a belief that the soul would leave before it is time. After the family and Spiritual advisers come in they decide what to do with the person and the windows, etc.

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    very touching. made me cry.

    i love how your honored your patient's dignity, up to her soul's passing (and beyond).

    not to sound too smooshy, sue, but will you be my nurse when i'm a dear, older one?

    prayers of peace and comfort for the loss of your father.

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    This actually just got brought up in my clinical last week. A fellow student mentioned opening the window and I had never heard of it but I like the idea. I am from the Northwest.

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    Nursing has completely changed my feelings about death. It used to terrify me. Now, often, I see it as a trusted old friend.

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