Topics About 'Death And Dying'.

With the advent of chill winds and falling leaves, it almost seems as if the world is in a hurry to finish its business before winter comes: animals grow thicker coats and store up food for the long, cold months; flowers fade and vines wither; humans...

Many times during my career, I'd have a flashback while I went about my daily routines. I would be right back in the classroom, hearing all over again what an instructor had to say... "Always talk to your patients when they are unconscious. For they ...

Born with a cardiac anomaly, the family immediately noticed something was "wrong" with their child, but they did not know what. Thus began their journey to another country - our country - our state and our hospital - desperately seeking help. During ...

The best nurses are compassionate and empathetic by nature, so it's no surprise that emotional exhaustion is one of the primary causes of "nurse burnout" - a term used to encompass the physical, mental and emotional fatigue nurses can experience afte...

The “she” in question was his daughter. And, no, she was not coming. You never know what a person’s past is, or the darkness that might have shadowed a relationship, but the daughter had been adamant that she was not coming and not to call her again....

Palliative care services are a very important resource for those patients who have been recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. Care needs fluctuate throughout the course of any life-limiting disease. No longer are patients required to terminate ...

When I went to work that day, it was with a heavy heart. I was preoccupied with my own thoughts and was just wishing that I could just go through with my shift as peacefully as I can. Little did I know that I was about to receive a wake-up call from ...

After returning from vacation, I was assigned to "Robert", a 24 year-old suffering from septic shock, multi-system organ failure and late-stage muscular dystrophy. He was maxed out on chemical and ventilatory support. In his room, the wasted young ma...

Having had a Home Health Aide with a certificate from the American Red Cross, I worked with the elderly in their homes and Assisted Living facilities and I loved it. For 5 years I had a lovely client who became very dear to me and I enjoyed taking go...

Mm a new day, the young woman thought. A small quirk to her mouth as she jogged up the stairs. Today was her first shift of seven: three earlys, a late, then two night shifts. Not tooo bad for a roster, but you know she did always prefer the nights, ...

He was darling with his white hair, big dimples, infectious smile, and a voice wispy and cheerful. Looking over at me he said, "Hi my sweetheart, my darling, my honey I love you." Wow, what a great way to start my eight-hour shift. Since he was total...

Just the other day, I talked with two different nurses who said they cried on the way home from work. One said that she had promised her son she'd take him to a movie after work that night, but her day was so emotionally distressing that when she got...

The following is a psychic reading that will eventually prove accurate with every single person in existence today: we're all going to die. The fact is that life will end, and how Americans choose to cope with this reality gives us an overall picture...

Death, for many nurses, is the enemy. We come to work ready to conquer it or, at the very least beat it back, beat it down for another hour or another day. However, I never felt that way; as a patient, as a family member, or as a nurse. Death was nev...

That I wasn't sure I would be able to, that I really didn't want to ever be in that situation. I got the job and was told that if we got any kids I probably wouldn't have to take care of them. We don't get many children on our services. It wasn't lon...

Tom was 35 years old when he got sick. A strong police officer, Tom never expected to be diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. One day he was on the SWAT Team, breaking down doors, gun in hand, fighting the bad guys. That afternoon, he went to h...

As a new RN in a large midwestern hospital, I started on the 8 hour night shift of a busy medsurg telemetry floor. Inexperience led me to rely heavily on my psychosocial skills and interactions with patients. After report one night, as I was assessin...

Mom wanted to lie in the bed with the four-year-old, but that made it too difficult to manage his care, so she had to sit beside the bed. She kept her face close to his, whispering softly to Antonio. Dad stood behind her with his hands on Moms' shoul...

Funny how you'll plan every aspect of every trip except the most important one you'll ever take (NHPCO, n.d.). The process of dying is a deeply personal, inevitable, and unique journey that every individual will make at some point in the circle of li...

A feeling of dread consumed me as I walked to room 418. I took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door before quietly stepping into the patient's room. There, laying in the middle of the bed was a young African American woman. Besides the swell...

She had been born the afternoon before with a left diaphragmatic hernia, and although I knew that her prognosis was grim, I was amazed at how beautiful she looked, her skin, her hair, her little rosebud mouth, just a beautiful full-term baby, who was...

I had never intended on becoming a nurse, however, that is the direction that God sent me in and I have not regretted it ever since. I loved the nursing home and getting to know all of the patients and their families. I never had grandparents and the...

In 2003, my parents moved from Maryland to New Jersey. They were looking forward to the move. They were right across the river from NYC, my mother had accepted a great job, and they were excited about being able to go to the Broadway shows, dine out,...

Many of us learn valuable lessons from our patients. I was fortunate to learn one very early in my career that has stayed with me for 35 years. I have long ago forgotten her name, but her face and her circumstances are embedded in my brain and have d...

Words that are heard by many family members when a catastrophic event is going on in a bed nearby. The lifeline they have held on so firmly is being cut by a doctor who knows the physiological condition of the loved one in the bed. The doctor walks o...