"I don't want to die"

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · May 7, 2015

"we are doing everything we can" "we are getting you to the ER as quickly as possible."

There's no false hope, hope, not hope....Just facts. And you are doing what is in your power to do at present.

Seizures are scary things.

I would love to know an update on what this ended up being. Status epilepticus doesn't usually just happen with no history, does it?

RNerica12 · May 7, 2015

I was always taught to never give false hope. Personally I would say something like " I am going to doing everything I can to get you feeling better or get you through this " or something along those lines. I mean bc ultimately we are not in control of what happens. So we can't say what will happen. We can however do all we can to help. Bc we are nurses. It's what we do. :)

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · May 7, 2015

When we left today there was no new info in the hospital records. Will see tomorrow. I had given her duoneb before it occurred but this was beyond being "jittery" from albuterol. I have dealt with lung patients since I was a tech on a step down unit. Never seen this as a reaction to it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what is/is not found tomorrow.

And yes we told the pt the usual "we are doing everything we can." I just haven't had many look me in the eye and say they don't want to die. When patients coded on the cardiac floor they were usually unconscious....

RNerica12 · May 8, 2015

Yeah sounds like that would be rough. I have not had that happen to me.I am sure you handled yourself well and made the pt feel as comforted as possible. :up:

Farawyn · May 8, 2015

When we left today there was no new info in the hospital records. Will see tomorrow. I had given her duoneb before it occurred but this was beyond being "jittery" from albuterol. I have dealt with lung patients since I was a tech on a step down unit. Never seen this as a reaction to it.
I'm looking forward to seeing what is/is not found tomorrow.
And yes we told the pt the usual "we are doing everything we can." I just haven't had many look me in the eye and say they don't want to die. When patients coded on the cardiac floor they were usually unconscious....

I'm sorry. It's scary. I hope she is okay, and you as well.

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · May 8, 2015

I really think she will be ok and I am surprised by how calm I stayed considering how frantic I was as a new RN in bad situations. I even tried to make things a little light hearted telling the pt "you're gonna get tired of me asking...but what's your name and birthday?"

That's just how I handle things lol. Still just hoping to learn something since I'm just a few months into this NP thing.

I really don't know that I had had a patient look up and tell me "I don't want to die" though. As I said my codes were typically unconscious and I did home health after that.

Thanks for support!

Anonymous865 · May 8, 2015

If I'm ever the patient in that situation, please feel free to give me "false hope." If I say, "I don't want to die," tell me "We're not going to let that happen." I promise if I do die, I won't hold that commitment against you.

The reason HCPs are told not to give false hope is because it erodes the patient's trust in the provider and all providers in general. If you are telling someone they have cancer and you know it is terminal, then you shouldn't promise them they will beat it. They need to be able to make plans. They need to be able to trust what you say.

In this case you aren't going to erode the patient's trust if you tell them they aren't going to die.

Libby1987 · May 8, 2015

That had to be rough.

I don't think giving a patient meaningful reassurance during a crisis is the same as giving false hope re prognosis. I think telling her, "we got you, we're going to take care of you" or something in your own words is ethical. "Doing everything we can" sounds like canned customer service for someone who is terrified and in the moment. I wouldn't tell the family that everything was going to be okay because they are looking at the end outcome, but a terrified patient is in the moment and needs to get from second to second. It's not like they're making any decisions based on what you're telling them as you're loading them on the ambulance. I would want to be more calming and reassuring, even if I was only getting them to the next moment.

OCNRN63, RN · May 8, 2015

"We're going to do our best to make sure that doesn't happen."

ScrappytheCoco · May 8, 2015

I always say "I'm going to take excellent care of you." Because that's about all I can guarantee.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 8, 2015

False hope is telling a person with stage IV cancer that there are multiple ways to kill it all and make him healthier than before. Or telling family of 95 year old, legally blind, terminally demented person on vent, dialysis and three drips that he is gonna to walk out of there one day.

Telling a person scared to death by something he never experienced before that he's OK, that he is safe, that you do everything you can and more help is on the way is not giving false hope. It is stating facts, even if a bit overstretched. The latter thing can be discussed further, as for a believer things will come to the better end either way. But it is one of a few cases when I am totally for telling people what they want to hear.