Deaths are different....

People die. It's a fact of life...Life & Death.

Deaths are different.

Patients die in the hospital. In my hospital less than 1% of our patients die while they are here, which if you based it on patient fears you might think it was 90% or higher. But that's a different issue; for another day.

People die. The reaction of the hospital staff varies widely. Why? Not because we don't care. We are trained in 'professional distanting' so that every patient doesn't just rip your heart out. One of the things I think that influences that supposed 'distant' is the time a patient has been in the hospital. If a patient comes into the ER, coding (needing life support and critical care) and then dies, there is some sorrow, but you move on; aka, short or no length of stay; short emotional attachment. A patient is in the hospital for a number of weeks, many staff have interacted with them, learned some of their life story and then they die it can create more grief and loss; longer stay, longer attachment.

When a staff members dies...

Today I lead a Memorial service for a long time staff member.