How often do you engage with or witness death in your work?

Last updated on March 13th, 2024 at 10:46 am

How often do you engage with or witness death in your work? How has this experience or the lack of it shaped your view of death?

How often do you engage with or witness death in your work? How has this experience or the lack of it shaped your view of death? Has it gotten easier or harder for you to accept the fact of death? As you explain, include your clinical specialty.

Expert Answer and Explanation

Reflection on Clinical Experience of Death

I have had the opportunity of working with patients in labor and delivery unit, and during my practice within this unit, I witness the death of patients. Some patients died during delivery, and whenever I witnessed death of a patient, I would feel sad. The first time I witnessed a patient of a mother and her child, I was shocked. The incident was emotionally overwhelming, and I was angry that perhaps the hospital could have done enough to prevent the deaths (Robson & Williams, 2017). With time, however, I began accepting the death of patients as a reality for anyone working in the labor unit.

This personal experience has shaped my views concerning death and dying. I have learned from such encounters that anyone can die, and when people die, they overcome pain and suffering. From my experience, still, I learned that the thought of dying invokes feelings such as fear and denial, and when one dies, those close to them experience sadness and anger. Furthermore, the experience of seeing patients die has taught me that one can die in any point in their life including during toddlerhood, and that appropriate clinical interventions can help reduce the risk of death (Robson & Williams, 2017).

While I would experience difficult coping with death during my formative years of practice, I have experienced changes in terms of how I see death. Currently, I see death as part of the human experience because death is a natural process in which a person loses their physical body. Because I have worked with patients from diverse backgrounds, I have noted that death has some form of spiritual and cultural significance, and that culture and spirituality or religious beliefs can affect how individuals cope with death (Phan et al., 2021).

 References

Phan, H. P., Ngu, B. H., Chen, S. C., Wu, L., Shih, J. H., & Shi, S. Y. (2021). Life, death, and spirituality: A conceptual analysis for educational research development. Heliyon, 7(5), e06971. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06971.

Robson, K., & Williams, C. M. (2017). Dealing with the death of a long term patient; what is the impact and how do podiatrists cope?. Journal of foot and ankle research, 10, 36. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-017-0219-0.

Alternative Expert Answer and Explanation

Although patients come to hospitals for treatment expecting to recover from their illnesses, some clinical cases end with patients’ death. For providers, witnessing patients dying can be a difficult experience especially if they have established an emotional connection with the patients. During my practice as a Medsurg Nurse, I have witnessed the death of patients, and whenever I experienced a patient dying, it affected me emotionally (Robson & Williams, 2017).

I would react with regret, blaming myself for not doing enough to prevent death. Although the death of patients still hurts, I feel I am emotionally prepared to deal with such an experience, more than I was when I first encountered the first incident.

As a nursing professional, experiencing the loss of lives has shaped my perspective on health, illness, and death. One thing that I have learned particularly given my previous with death is that it can be difficult to stop death when it comes, and anyone working with the patient may watch helplessly as the patient dies.

Previously, I experienced tension and anxiety every time I saw a patient dying, and I would have nightmares (Sartor, das Mercês, & Torrealba, 2021). Based on what I have experienced, I have become more open in terms of how I view death. Specifically, I consider it a normal human experience, and whenever it occurs, it serves as a reminder that it is an experience that awaits everyone including me.

My personal experiences concerning the loss of patients’ lives have played a significant role in defining my perspectives on life. It is easier for me to accept death than it was previously because seeing a patient dying reminds me of my mortality as a person. It also reminds me of the need to treat everyone with respect, and dignity irrespective of their health status. Guided by this experience, therefore, I would be more respectful in terms of how I treat patients.

References

Robson, K., & Williams, C. M. (2017). Dealing with the death of a long term patient; what is the impact and how do podiatrists cope?. Journal of foot and ankle research, 10, 36. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-017-0219-0.

Sartor, S. F., das Mercês, N. N. A., & Torrealba, M. N. R. (2021). Death in the Hospital: The Witnessing of the Patient with Cancer. Indian journal of palliative care, 27(4), 538–543. https://doi.org/10.25259/IJPC_119_21.