During my tenure as a hospice nurse, it is uncommon to encounter patients who are willing to endure any means necessary to prolong their lives, even if it entails being connected to life-support machines that maintain organ function. Even many of my younger patients, who are in their twenties and thirties, appear to be accepting of the k…
During my tenure as a hospice nurse, it is uncommon to encounter patients who are willing to endure any means necessary to prolong their lives, even if it entails being connected to life-support machines that maintain organ function. Even many of my younger patients, who are in their twenties and thirties, appear to be accepting of the knowledge of their impending demise. It is not that they desire death, but rather that hospice care provides an opportunity for them to discuss their mortality, formulate plans, contemplate their situation, and find peace. Conversely, the families of hospice patients often experience the most difficulty in letting go. They tend to advocate for every life-saving treatment, regardless of the patient’s wishes, and often prefer that their loved ones remain awake, even if it means withholding sedating pain medication.
Dying is a profoundly intimate experience, and if at all feasible, patients should have the autonomy to determine the manner, companions, circumstances, and so on of their passing.
I believe that Dr. Cifu may have been referring to our perspective as healthcare providers regarding our own end-of-life experiences. I do not believe that my chosen specialty influences my views on life and death, but rather that my advancing age has tempered my anxieties, increased my tolerance for others, and granted me a more contemplative perspective on the world.
During my tenure as a hospice nurse, it is uncommon to encounter patients who are willing to endure any means necessary to prolong their lives, even if it entails being connected to life-support machines that maintain organ function. Even many of my younger patients, who are in their twenties and thirties, appear to be accepting of the knowledge of their impending demise. It is not that they desire death, but rather that hospice care provides an opportunity for them to discuss their mortality, formulate plans, contemplate their situation, and find peace. Conversely, the families of hospice patients often experience the most difficulty in letting go. They tend to advocate for every life-saving treatment, regardless of the patient’s wishes, and often prefer that their loved ones remain awake, even if it means withholding sedating pain medication.
Dying is a profoundly intimate experience, and if at all feasible, patients should have the autonomy to determine the manner, companions, circumstances, and so on of their passing.
I believe that Dr. Cifu may have been referring to our perspective as healthcare providers regarding our own end-of-life experiences. I do not believe that my chosen specialty influences my views on life and death, but rather that my advancing age has tempered my anxieties, increased my tolerance for others, and granted me a more contemplative perspective on the world.