death and dying
hi I am jean, specifically what would you like to know about death and dying. That covery a lot of area. You can email me if you like. jhals3@aol

In response to Death/Dying
Hi Daniella...you have certainly picked quite the interesting subject. Death and Dying is an interesting inquiry from nurses partly because we do unfortuneately see a lot of it. I'm not so much into the hospice area but I do work in Emergency and do see my fair share of different reactions as well as ways of coping when dealing within the area of Death and Dying. I know that one thing my department as adopted which has its ups and downs, is the ability to allow family members be present during resusitation. Although, we do maintain our nursing judgement on the situation, we do find it difficult at times to counsel a family member during this time. Death is never an easy scenario but I believe being real and empathetic for another individual during their time of crisis allows us as nurses to be real. Yes, I would like to save every individual that comes through the door but that is just not feasible. I think for nurses among other health care providers to have an outlet to share their experiences is important. Some deaths are more difficult than others depending on the situation. I don't know if that helps to any degree but if you would like to know anything specific, please do ask, I would love to share my feelings or experiences with you.

Most of my experience is in long term care but I was also an EMT for 7 years. Maybe it has been my personal experiences with death or my religious beliefs, but death and dying for me is a natural progression. I know it doesn't always seem so, especially for the very young. But it helps to believe that those that have passed before us have gone to a much better place where there is no suffering! All of us are dying and need to live each day as if it's our last. I do pray over my patients while I care for them and offer words of comfort to the family. I believe this is one of the reasons God led me to the nursing profession.