Patients who "drop by" in dreams....

Specialties Hospice

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Specializes in Hospice/Palliative, PACU, OR, Med/Surg.

Just a question for my colleages who've worked in this field a bit. I've had this happen to me a handful of times over many years when I worked as a PCN. I'll be sleeping soundly and just wake up and sit up "knowing' but not being able to tell anyone how I know that a certain patient just died. It's almost like they swung by to say goodbye on their way home. The first time this happened, I sat up in bed and looked at my bedside clock. My husband, Joe, asked me if I was OK and I when I said, "I'm good....Ms. X just passed away" he just looked at me strangely and said, "I didn't hear the phone ring"? And I told him that no one called but I just know. Ms. X just spiritually 'waved' to me on her way home. When the next morning, I told my husband that Ms. X did, in fact, pass around the time that I awoke, he looked at me with a bit of fear and said, "that is TOO weird...but a little wonderful too". The next several times, when I had a similar experience, he knows what it is when I wake up and look at the clock and will ask, "one of your patients just died, huh?" It hasn't happened to me since I've given up my PCN role (I work after hours and don't have my own patients).

Has anyone else ever had this happen? I feel so blessed and honored when it does.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Never had that happen...guess I am not wired the same way you are...

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One night I was trying to sleep, thinking about things I needed to get done, etc. I think about my pts a lot, but at this point I wasn't even thinking about work. I had a pt with terminal agitation who got a few hits in on me, and in the middle of my thoughts she just kind of "popped" into my head. It was really weird. A sense of sorrow came over me, not sadness-sorrow, but something like, "I'm sorry." Then it was gone. I searched for her in the obituaries a few days later and sure enough she had passed that night. I honestly believe she stopped by to tell me she was sorry (not that she had too, I never thought bad of her for what she did), and to tell me goodbye. It's a little spooky but it makes me happy that I obviously made some sory of connection with her in her last few days of life.

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Specializes in peds palliative care and hospice.

Hi,

I am not a hospice person...but have worked as an aide on a hem/onc floor. When I was in high school we had a guy we got groceries, ect for. He got very sick and went to the hospital and didnt come back. My mom is a teacher and she left to be with him and i stayed in her room. Around 230 that afternoon I was on the computer and heard someone say Bye, (my name). He passed away around that time.

I agree with you, it is a privilige to be apart of such amazing things.

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Specializes in Hospice/Palliative, PACU, OR, Med/Surg.

Thank you for sharing your story...really made me happy to hear others express the same blessed moment happening to them, too.

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This is a truly amazing experience and is not a bad thing. The other side is just full of people that I've known, including former patients.

I envision the life path as looking like a road. There are houses on the side. I believe that when people transition they go down the road and wave to those of us on the side.

Now I am sure that it is metaphysically far more complex than that. But it is a frame of reference for my brain to allow me to process the message, as well as the messenger.

It has happened to me, too, and provides enough 'proof' for me to keep the faith. :specs:

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