When at uni they teach / tell us, whilst you’re in practice, you don’t get attched to your patients. if they die, deal with it and move on because it is the way of life. Hold on a second …are you saying we are to be emotionless?? when said, its sounds easier doesn’t it. How hard is it not be attached to a stranger that’s just come in to you to help them feel better and they move on with their lives.
But that’s the way us humans are designed … Emotions will always take over us and it does not matter whether you have known someone for a day, seconds , hours even but the way of life is, you might not realise it but once you come into contact with another human being whether its talkign to them for a few seconds, smiling at them as you walk past their side room in the ward … . you have become attached. nothing can prepare you for what’s next. One minute you are laughing with someone and within a blink of an eye, they are at peace and all you’re left with is their soul in the room and you are talking to an empty vessel because that is our job. we still talk to one as if they are here with us.
TODAY I LEARNT THAT DEATH TRULLY IS REAL + NOTHING CAN PREPARE YOU FOR IT. I tried to contain my feelings as i was helping out with the dead body . After 15 minutes of being aroudn the dead patient and prepping him, the doctor finally confirmed that yes the patient is dead … my knees felt week, my heart was racing, i felt i was going to pass out … i knew i had to get out of the room but my legs just froze and i couldn’t move and after trying to hold my tears in and telling myself “you’re fine ” i just cried. It was as though i have known this patient for a very long time. I don’t know why i cried because i haven’t worked around this patient much before as much as i have with others. It was my first patient loss so the senior staff understood and they were there for me… the ward Sister was ever so lovely and made sure i was ok.
i tried to stay strong and till i was out of the room and done with the patient but like i said before, emotions take over us. RAW EMOTIONS … It all just took over .… FEAR , ANGER , HAPPINESS (bcos u know the patient is at peace now) THE LOT !!
NOTHING REALLY CAN PREPARE YOU FOR DEATH …NOTHING . WE ARE HUMANS AND IT’S OKAY FOR US TO SOMETIMES LET THE EMOTIONS OUT OTHERWISE WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO OUR JOBS BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT TO EMPATHISE.
Thankfully for me , my mum was able to ring me as soon as i got home (coincindence) and i just said hello and she said hello and then i cried and then she said let it all out and then when i was done crying we sid bye to each other. without her knowing what had happened and i haven’t told her, she was ablet to comfort me and i felt fine and she didn’t need to know why i was crying because she knows it’s my job. it’s what i love. it’s what i signed up for. it’s what i am learning. it’s what’s gonna teach me. Love my Mum
Tommorrow is another day and before you know it we will have a new patient in that room and new memories will be built. Despite it all, I LOVE MY JOB and THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. P+L X