Topics About 'Death And Dying'.

I had a strange sense of anticipation as I walked in. Working as a perdiem Nursing supervisor(Assistant Director of Nursing) in a busy hospital, I had strongly felt that I needed to put myself down as available for this Sunday shift a month ago. I av...

When the ambulance rolled up to the ER, I could see the EMTs doing chest compressions on my dad. I remembered a guy his size who had coded when I was working on the floor- that guy did not make it. I started to shake and sob loudly. The ER nurse came...

"When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him." The parable of the good Samaritan, Luke 10:34 There comes a...

Dear floor, ED and ICU nurses, Please forgive me. I know he's dying. I get it. I do. We were told five years. Five years on an outlier and he would be gone. We were told transplant was an option but with the dismal survival rates, we opted for rehab....

The Winter of 2004 she thought she had a cold that she couldn't shake so she went to her primary care dr., who said it was probably the flu and prescribed her an antibiotic. When it persisted she returned to her primary care dr., who then did a chest...

There are times, however, when the patient can't improve. To our frustration, we all remember times when our patients were terminally ill. Some we didn't know very well, so the feelings inside were sadness and reverence. Some were our favorites, and ...

I scanned my list of patients for the day. Three unfamiliar names back to back in the morning; a prenatal visit, an INR (a patient on the blood thinner Coumadin) patient and a BP check patient. I knew the rest of the names on my schedule. My first pa...

When I entered the nurse's station, I immediately felt the typical business of a weekday morning. The morning rush during which everybody tries to get a handle on all the tasks for day was unfolding. One of the nurses looked at me briefly and said, "...

The window curtains were wide open. I kneeled down beside her where she could hear me and I grasped her hand into mine. I closed my eyes and I began to pray for her. The hall smelled of urine and that fecal odor that always permeates every breathable...

My mother also received high doses of narcotics in these end stages to keep her comfortable. As a result, she had been unresponsive for two days. I was sharing the night shift with my stepsister who gave the thorazine at 2 a.m. and told me that she w...

My best friend had a beautiful baby girl last April. Her pregnancy was healthy, and the OB-GYN did not expect any complications. She had an Ultrasound three weeks before delivery that showed many decelerations so she had an emergency c-section. The b...

Reflection: Moral CourageMoral courage is sometimes a shared experience. I have always had the realization that sometime in my Nursing career, I would be faced with the task of assisting my patient while they receive a terminal diagnosis. Allowing th...

The skin is the largest organ of the body and can become dysfunctional at life's end, with loss of integrity, just like any other vital body system, with reduced ability to utilize nutrients and other factors necessary to sustain normal skin function...

Working with death may be an inevitable part of a nursing career, depending on what area your focus is. Learning how to cope and manage death seems to vary from department to department. Please feel free to add to this and help your fellow nurses und...

"While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight...He instructed me and said to me, 'Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was...

When I started that day it seemed the paramount thing to me just to get rid of the dress bypassing my state board exams. My clinical rotations had become routine stuff after two years. My mentor hardly bothered to check on me anymore. I thought I was...

She knew what she wanted. She'd watched her husband of 52 years die on a vent, and followed his wishes to remain a full code. But she knew that was not what she wanted for herself. So, she wrote a Living Will, had it notarized, gave it to her persona...

Death is the reason why I decided to become a nurse. I know, it's a rather strange thing to say and I probably don't mean it in the way that most would. I don't see myself as a caped avenger, fighting death. In fact, in many cases, Death is welcome. ...

Talking about the end of life is not for the faint of heart. There are many obstacles, including our individual sense of immortality. It's such a serious topic that I'd like to start with the story of a man who came to see his doctor. He said, "Doc, ...

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...

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, ...

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...

When I first began working with Baby he didn't have very many words in his vocabulary but did alot of pointing and grunting. Needless to say those that know me, know that I would talk to the wall if it would talk back. So I was going to get this litt...

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...

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 ...