“Mrs. Watson? This is the hospital; your husband has expired.”
These were the cruel words, so cavalierly delivered, that greeted my mother at 4:30 a.m. last Thursday and changed her life–and mine, my sister’s and the rest of our family’s–irrevocably. The nurse used just those words, and didn’t ask if my mother were alone or not–fortunately, my sister was with her, to comfort her and to take charge during my mother’s resulting and understandable hysteria.
I wonder sometimes why some people, so obviously unsuited to a caring profession like medicine, especially direct patient-care nursing, choose such a field anyway. Throughout my dad’s long battle with kidney disease, peritonitis, and later his kidney transplant and most recently three weeks with Guillain-Barr
That is unbelievably cruel and uncalled for. You could find out the nursing supervisors name to complain. But I doubt it would do much good. I just want to say again how terribly sorry I am about your loss. **HUGS**
Uncalled for
Go read thebedside manor entry over at elf-reflection. I would bitch slap that nurse. Never mind scream and yell at…
One of the most horrific weeks of my life began with a Sunday morning phone call from my dearest friend. All she could blurt out was, “I have cancer!” She was in the hospital, alone, when a resident came in to eagerly inform her that she was the first case of inflammatory breast cancer (the most vicious and deadly version) she had ever treated. And, having pronounced her death sentence, bounded Tigger-like out, leaving Annie alone with the news.
Most of the hospital staff was wonderful, but if I could have found this woman I would have throttled her barehanded.
I’m sorry your mother was treated equally as badly.
I am a student nurse, reading your story and many others, I ask god and all the people I love, if I reach that stage, where I can’t be a good nurse who cares, to remind me fast so i can go and do something else and save people like yourself the griff.
sorry you and your familiy had to go through this