Page 6 - TheAlaskaNurseOctNov2018

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of the day was a blur of charting
and paperwork. When the medical
examiner came to take the body,
the mother had left the room briefly
to go eat. The ME was going to take
the body without her there. This
really bothered me. How dare he
take this child before the mother was
able to say goodbye one last time?
I understand this is something this
person does every day and he has a
schedule to keep and is very busy, but
it seemed heartless that he wouldn’t
wait 10 minutes for the mom. She
hadn’t eaten all day because her child
had died and she had been holding
him. Thankfully, she showed up just
in time.
Once the ME left, the family
gathered their belongings and we
said our goodbyes. I told them I was
sorry that there was nothing more we
could do and the mom looked at me
and said, “You tried everything you
could.” The family thanked the staff
for all their hard work and said they
were very grateful for us. I looked
to my preceptor and asked, “Now
what?” We discharged the patient
from the computer and called the
monitor studio. I saw my educator and
she told me to go home. I thanked my
preceptor for everything and received
multiple hugs from coworkers. I have
never felt so much love and support
from an amazing group of people. I
know that I would not be able to do
this job without them.
I got home and just started crying
in my car. My fiancé came out and
gave me a hug. I walked in the house
and sat on the floor, hugged my dogs,
and let them lick my face. My fiancé
and I went for a bike ride, and that
is exactly what I needed to clear my
mind. Being outdoors is very important
for me during a time like this. It re-
centers me and humbles me. Also,
writing everything down is important
and gives me a chance to process
everything and I feel like I am able
to move on. I will always remember
this day, but I will look back and be
grateful for everything I learned. This
experience has helped me become a
better nurse and a better person.

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