Comments on: When the Side Effect is Death

By: Peggy

Peggy — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 18:48:41 +0000

I think Western Society as a whole and , in particular, the United States is very confused about Life and Death. On the one hand, we seem to have an irrational fear of death; therefore, we expend incredible resources to keep moribund people alive. While, on the other hand, we wage endless wars in which we blast into Eternity billions of perfectly healthy people, while again expending incredible resources. So where is the morality? For myself, I believe in Reincarnation. I think Death is merely a doorway into another Life, and who are we to deny a sufferer that step into another life, when it is patently clear to any onlooker that they would dearly love to get rid of their pain-wracked, worn-out body. I remember saying to a patient at the end of my shift, “Well, is there anything else I can do for you before I go?” Her answer, “Just get me an undertaker…” She had been resuscitated several times on the orders of her husband, who believed he had a new cure for cancer. He didn’t.

By: Carol

Carol — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:26:40 +0000

Hey Judy, I agree that Hospice and the hospice care I’ve given and seen given has helped enormously. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t always serve. Either the patient, the family or the nurse. Sometimes the pain can’t be relieved by other than so much medicine it knocks the patient out. Then someone has to take the responsibility for ordering it anyway. Sometimes the families don’t want to let a loved one go before they stop breathing. For that, there would have to be a greater acceptance of death in society and a belief in something larger than ourselves. That would lessen the fear, but there would still be grief. As it is, even doctors are sometimes reluctant to suggest hospice because they’re afraid it means they’ve given up on their patients, and many of them are not willing to do that. But you are right, it is better than it was. And all my experiences with hospice have been wonderful.

By: Judy Moorehead RN

Judy Moorehead RN — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:15:55 +0000

There is a reason why we have Hospice, so that patients can die without pain, and with dignity. It is every nurse’s responsibility to broach that with the patient or family, so that neither the patient, nor the nurse, are tortured.