Being a critical care nurse on an intermediate floor has exposed me to much medical knowledge and understanding of direct patient care. I also have been in code blue to where I had to perform CPR to help revive my patient back to life; needless to say, one time with one patient, they, unfortunately, did not make it; that was the most extended code I was in 45 minutes of continue CPR rounds and medication deliver with bedside intubation; being in that environment honestly numb me to the death process.
The world of medicine has interfered with the death process tremendously because in healthcare, we, as healthcare workers, try to control how mortality takes place (Hoehner,2022). There were times that I saw my patients suffer badly, and it was mainly because the patient’s family members didn’t want to accept death as their outcome. I thought that the patient shouldn’t deserve to suffer because what quality of life is this for them? I have imagined death being more peaceful for them and the families needing to accept their fate. My perception of death has changed while working as a nurse because I don’t view death as a bad thing; it could be something more of helping someone accept peace and rest finally. Death, to me, is not something of fear but more of a state of being at peace.
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Care at the End of Life, Field, M. J., & Cassel, C. K. (2017). The Health Care System and the Dying Patient. Nih.gov; National Academies Press (US).
Hoehner, Paul. (2022).Practicing Dignity: An Introduction Values and Decision Making: Intervention, Ethical Decision Making, and Spiritual Care. Grand Canyon University.
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