Jonathan Bartels

Yes. A serious mistake. "Let her off the hook"?? How about support her in both recovering from such a mistake and mitigating it never happens again? You talk of suffering serious consequences? I think knowing what happened is severe enough...unless she has psychopathic tendencies...I am sure she suffers each and every day. You speak of justice? I think justice is creating a system that ensures all changes are made to decrease the potential for this to happen again. I hold her Health system to the standards you apply to the individual. That is where severe penalties should be applied. In the eyes of the court, Corporations are and can be considered individual entities. That is where I would aim my 'Sword of Justice'.

Medicine is the only profession that traditionally pushed the concept that providers are above our humanness (and yet we are asked to be compassionate....you captured the importance of self-compassion). Technology has pushed us even further away from being human. Your article rings true on so many levels. Thank you and may you all heal.

As the person that reintroduced this practice I could not agree more about making it mandatory. On my web site I specifically say that this is an invited practice...invited by the practitioner...requested if its OK to family... and making it possible to allow those less comfortable to excuse themselves. Never...ever .... a Policy. the act is no panacea for the multiple losses we have faced. It is the beginning of approaching death differently than just a failure. Approaching the death as a natural progression of life. Allowing staff to take a moment in a busy (or non Busy) setting. Using silence allows people to hold space in their own 'cultural' way in order not to impose. It is simply an honoring of a life and an honoring of the work applied in order to try and 'save' that life. A brief moment to recognize.

In order to spread this and avoid any one agency laying claim I created a web site with my own money : The Pause | Jonathan Bartels | Pausing after death as a means to offer closure to the medical team, family and offering honor to the patient . I wanted the individuals who use it to own it on a personal level. I have sent people interested in implementation to this site. There is a pretty cool video I made as well. Good Luck.

I have been informed that in certain areas this is in fact a part of the simulation in ACLS (Boston MA). I hope it starts to be a applied in other simulation scenarios. I am just blown away at its expanse from my 1 patient.