Most people living in North American or Western Europe have seen very little of death. Perhaps you were with a loved one who died, but more likely you left the hospital and waited by the phone. We leave death to the professionals.
So: now you are a professional. But your heart is beating fast and your feet tell you to run…
Stop. Think: why is the situation stressful for you? Most likely it is a little bit of two emotions: fear of the unknown and a reminder of mortality, whether that be your own mortality, the mortality of those you care about, or a memory of the death of a loved one. That’s natural! Take a few deep breaths. Remember that “non-anxious presence” that people need? That’s you! And, yes, death comes to us all. It’s a natural process, even if it isn’t our favorite natural process.
What do you think of death? What do you think of your inevitable death? These are the big questions. We all do well to dwell on them and come to terms with them.
Deep breaths. Non-anxious presence.
In the Face of Death
In the Face of Death explores the experiences of health care professionals who care for the seriously ill, the dying and bereaved patients. In this book, Danai Papadatou offers a practical approach to caregiving, as well as breadth and depth of insight into both the patient’s and the caregiver’s responses to death.
The author discusses the issues and challenges health care professionals face when treating dying and bereaved patients. Topics include: compassion fatigue, the inevitability of suffering and the potential for growth, suffering in the workplace, team functioning in death situations, and team resilience.
Springer Publishing Company