redding-er-rn

Thank you Heavens Nurse! As a fellow hospice nurse, I could visualize everything described by Winterfresh. We see it almost daily in our line of work and it becomes the "norm" for us to see it. I truely believe that often as hospice nurses we become somewhat of a "bridge" for our patients who are getting ready to enter the next phase of their life. I can't help but think how wonderful it is that even in death our loved ones (past and/or present) are with us and help guide us in our journey. I just had a patient who asked me why everytime she opened her eyes all the people went away? I could only think to tell her that they were there to show her the way and it was OK to go with them. She closed her eyes again and died a few hours later with her children there at her bedside. They said she was talking to their father who had passed away about a year earlier right before she took her last breath. They said that even in her death they were very comforted by the fact that they knew that Mom was with Dad and that they would see them again....

Hi all, I just did some checking with our mortuaries about some of the "issues" discussed in this thread. Bathing a pt is something I will always do regardless unless family requests to do themselves or for whatever reason they don't want the person touched afterwards (family wishes). I have had mixed reviews on catheters left in vs. removed. SOme mortuaries prefer to leave it in as not having creats a big mess according to them, others say can remove if we want and are indifferent. I guess it's best to check with your mortuaries on their preference for this sort of thing.

Since this is a Hospice thread in most cases the coroner may be notified but as the person is on hospice the death is "expected", therefore not a coroners case for investigation. As far as washing the body it is all about family preference. I ask the family if they would like to help in all cases, some prefer to do it all themselves. I always check the bottom and change briefs/depends and was hands and face at a minimum. Enbalming is not required in all states. Thanks you for the information on skin and embalming, I was not aware of the potential "problems" if skin is damaged. As far as Nurses or CNA doing post mortem care, it was covered and expected to be done if a pt died in my first semester of nursing school.

Since this is a Hospice thread in most cases the coroner may be notified but as the person is on hospice the death is "expected", therefore not a coroners case for investigation. As far as washing the body it is all about family preference. I ask the family if they would like to help in all cases, some prefer to do it all themselves. I always check the bottom and change briefs/depends and was hands and face at a minimum. Enbalming is not required in all states. Thanks you for the information on skin and embalming, I was not aware of the potential "problems" if skin is damaged. As far as Nurses or CNA doing post mortem care, it was covered and expected to be done if a pt died in my first semester of nursing school.

Thanks for the info, the book sounds very interesting

Thank you, Family appreciates it also as many don't think of "sending them out clean".

Sure looks liek COPD to me and ES heart

California Hospice Rn...Our mileage reimbursement is same as IRS for our agency.

So I guess the context of what you are saying is that all people dying and having visions have suddenly become schizophrenic? I'm not buying it but, who knows? I've seen a lot and those that don't or say they aren't having visions are very rare regardless of spirituality.

I agree with you completely. I see a lot of death and I believe you can tell where someone is headed based on their dying experience.

I too am now a Hospice nurse. I recently had a young woman who was dying with a mild case of terminal restlessness. I was at the home and she was talking to me then suddenly she opened her eyes, looked at me and asked "(my name), why is when I open my eyes all the people go away?" I told her the people where there for her and it was OK to go to them. She very peacefully said "OK, that's what I'll do then." and passed away about 10 minutes later.

I always get theses wierd phone calls on the nights of full moons. I think the same person calls as I am recognizing the voice. The latest is a lady who called (obviously psych) who said she was seen and the ER doc said she was crazy and had mental health come pick her up. She called to say that "I am not crazy and I have these parasites that come out of my nose and butt and they look like spaghetti!" Well, I automatically think round worms (not unheard of) and told her she should see her doctor or come in to get checkked if she was concerned. She then went on about the worms that are crawling out of her skin and that there was a beacon running across her living room that was telling her she was going to die....Wish I could have figured out where she was calling from because she definately needed an evaluation and possibly a 72 hour hold...

I am sorry to hear that. I guess the saying that nurses eat their young is still true for you. Don't lett al the time and money you spent on your education go to waste. You wil find something that suits you when the time is right. The beauty of nursing is there are so many areas you can go to. Maybe Med-Surg is not the area for you but other areas such as surgery, dialysis etc may be better. Hold your head up, when you least expect it something will turn up. If and when you do ever decide to come back, remember from your experiences and make things better for the next "new grad" that you may have the opportunity to precept.

I worked as the night Lab Tech before I was a Nurse and literally was referred to as the vampire by the patients. I was the only Lab person in the hospital and was responsible for all the draws and prcessing of specimens! Love night shift, more teamwork and comeraderie!

I had one last night! Woman calls and has apparently treated herself for head lice:uhoh3: . She is hysterically crying on the phone as she was unable to comb her hair. She said that nobody would help her and because she couldn't use any conditioner she need someone to comb her hair. Our Doc was sitting right next to me and got on the phone. He told the woman that she should try to contact a beauty shop as we don't provide those type of services. He hung up and told me he almost told her to just go ahead and shave her head! Yikes