dootzie_d

I am starting a bereavement committee in my PICU and I am wondering if there are any suggestions. We currently have bereavement information and binders for the families. We do clay molds and fingerprints, as well. We are going to start sending sympathy cards and having semi-formal debriefings every so often outside the hospial. But, that's it. I know there is so much we can add and do for our families and I want to do everything we can. The other question is...how to go about getting funding? I am sure our hospital is not going to support many of the things we want to do - at least right away - so how do I go about getting charities and other organizations involved? I am so new to all of this - but, I want to learn and I want to do more. Thanks so much!!!

What has helped me in the past seven years is my faith, the knowledge the patient is not suffering, and leaning on my co-workers. It's funny because Jim Carrey, of all people, said in an interview (and this is paraphrasing) those who shield themselves from bad feelings aren't strong; the strong ones let themselves feel every emotion, good or bad. You should let yourself feel it - because your patients need you to have compassion and without feeling, there can be no compassion. It is hard. I am tearing up just thinking of all the patients I have seen pass and, mostly, the grief and sometimes dispair in the family afterwards. But, those patients and their families deserve these tears....they deserve our compassion. You are blessed to be able to be a part of such an intimate time. I look at it as somewhat of a priviladge to be able to keep the patient comfortable and hopefully bring some peace to the family.