I'd been feeling sort of, for lack of a better descriptor, weird lately about having been the one to withdraw life support on four patients the last month and a half. It's part of the job and all, but I seem to be doing it more than usual lately. That's how it goes, ebb and flow, but I was still beginning to feel like the Nurse of Death, you know? So as I walked into work this afternoon, I cringed when I saw the manilla envelope in my box...
The UW is doing some sort of palliative care study in the ICU's, and an envelope means a rather long survey to fill out. I don't mind doing it, it's just that I've done quite a few of them lately. I still get a little emotional about them all, so I was going to toss it in my locker for a bit. As I picked it up, another little envelope fell on the ground. It was a card addressed to me via the unit. The family of the most recent patient I withdrew care on had sent me a very nice, personal thank you note. Not sure why it means so much to me, but it does.
Lesson learned? While I may still be the harbinger of death, I'm at least a likable one!
well, if the inevitable always came as tenderly as you probably deliver, maybe we'd all approach our ends with thank you notes. :)
ReplyDeletesorry if it's hard to make a response to something like that sound nice the right way. but glad your day got the cheer up it needed.