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How does a neonatal nurse feel when a baby has passed away?
I want to become a neonatal nurse and want to prepare myself in case this happens
#nursing #Nurse
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Eric’s Answer
Greetings Jessica I congratulate you on wanting to take care of babies. Listen to the mother who's child went to sleep.
I want to correct Ms. Races's answer.
Empathy, care, understanding, interpreting Dr.'s orders translating them to the parents is our job. There are certain psychological practices that have to be msintained. Indifference isn't one of them.
1. What is your core belief system about GOD. Most families pray for Divine Intervention.
2.Recognize your own vulnerabilities take an inventory of how you felt, when you lost a love one. If you haven't, try to find a memory where you lost your favorite toy. How did you feel? Read Kubler Ross on Death and Dying.
3. You will alwsys experience Death more than just once. Tune in to your strengths
weaknesses.
4. Empathy goes with the understanding principal thought. No child should die before the parent.
5. Being conscious of your thoughts before you speak. If it doesn't sound like caring then don't say anything. Sometimes silent communication but just be there for support maybe just to hold a hand is enough.
6. You are young, it just requires time and real situations to ever experience grief and anguish. And then you still have so much to learn about the different customs of different people in regards to supporting the different religious beliefs.
7. You do have to find an external source to releave your own emotional health. Find a good out source of a hoby or hobbies to prevent burnout.
I hope this little bit helps peace in Jesus's Name have a blessed life.
I want to correct Ms. Races's answer.
Empathy, care, understanding, interpreting Dr.'s orders translating them to the parents is our job. There are certain psychological practices that have to be msintained. Indifference isn't one of them.
1. What is your core belief system about GOD. Most families pray for Divine Intervention.
2.Recognize your own vulnerabilities take an inventory of how you felt, when you lost a love one. If you haven't, try to find a memory where you lost your favorite toy. How did you feel? Read Kubler Ross on Death and Dying.
3. You will alwsys experience Death more than just once. Tune in to your strengths
weaknesses.
4. Empathy goes with the understanding principal thought. No child should die before the parent.
5. Being conscious of your thoughts before you speak. If it doesn't sound like caring then don't say anything. Sometimes silent communication but just be there for support maybe just to hold a hand is enough.
6. You are young, it just requires time and real situations to ever experience grief and anguish. And then you still have so much to learn about the different customs of different people in regards to supporting the different religious beliefs.
7. You do have to find an external source to releave your own emotional health. Find a good out source of a hoby or hobbies to prevent burnout.
I hope this little bit helps peace in Jesus's Name have a blessed life.
Updated
Valerie’s Answer
Hi Jessica! Congratulations on your choice of neonatal nurse. It can be very rewarding!
I worked in OB in a rural hospital in Texas. I did OB and the nursery for 3 years. We did have a few babies not survive. Most we knew ahead of time that they were either already deceased or had a condition that was incompatible with life (meaning they would not survive being outside of their mothers womb). There was one case I will never forget. It was a Hispanic woman with little to no prenatal care. Baby seemed fine throughout her labour but died during delivery. This was a full term baby girl. I was not present for the delivery but I had her for the next few days on the post-partum unit. At that time I was on the bereavement committee - meaning I was trained to help her through her experience. We became quite close during that time and often cried together. I brought her her child whenever she wanted to see her or hold her. What I did the most of, though, was listen to her. Listen to her dreams of a daughter, what it would have been like growing up in her family, her sadness and grief, and the cultural difference of her family wanting her to 'get over' it quickly. (Some members of her family were upset I kept bringing her her daughter when she asked, others were more supportive. It was there belief that she would get over the loss quicker if she didn't keep seeing her - that is false, she needed to come to terms with the outcome at her own speed). I wasn't sure if I had been very helpful to her but a year later I received a card from her telling me that she did go on to have another healthy baby and she valued the time with me in the hospital - it gave her a foundation to heal and to go on.
If you work in medicine death is always part of it. It's ok to cry with patients and families. It's ok to get frustrated over it. You MUST have an outlet for yourself - a good team, family, friends, hobbies - whatever. You need YOU time to deal with death. As a side note, my time as a bereavement counselor made me fall in love with hospice.
Good luck! I think you would enjoy it; it is very rewarding!
I worked in OB in a rural hospital in Texas. I did OB and the nursery for 3 years. We did have a few babies not survive. Most we knew ahead of time that they were either already deceased or had a condition that was incompatible with life (meaning they would not survive being outside of their mothers womb). There was one case I will never forget. It was a Hispanic woman with little to no prenatal care. Baby seemed fine throughout her labour but died during delivery. This was a full term baby girl. I was not present for the delivery but I had her for the next few days on the post-partum unit. At that time I was on the bereavement committee - meaning I was trained to help her through her experience. We became quite close during that time and often cried together. I brought her her child whenever she wanted to see her or hold her. What I did the most of, though, was listen to her. Listen to her dreams of a daughter, what it would have been like growing up in her family, her sadness and grief, and the cultural difference of her family wanting her to 'get over' it quickly. (Some members of her family were upset I kept bringing her her daughter when she asked, others were more supportive. It was there belief that she would get over the loss quicker if she didn't keep seeing her - that is false, she needed to come to terms with the outcome at her own speed). I wasn't sure if I had been very helpful to her but a year later I received a card from her telling me that she did go on to have another healthy baby and she valued the time with me in the hospital - it gave her a foundation to heal and to go on.
If you work in medicine death is always part of it. It's ok to cry with patients and families. It's ok to get frustrated over it. You MUST have an outlet for yourself - a good team, family, friends, hobbies - whatever. You need YOU time to deal with death. As a side note, my time as a bereavement counselor made me fall in love with hospice.
Good luck! I think you would enjoy it; it is very rewarding!
Updated
Stephanie’s Answer
Hi Jessica,
I am not a nurse, but wanted to provide my perspective as a parent who had a baby who passed away in the NICU. While we had many nurses during our NICU stay, the ones that made the biggest impact on me were those that expressed empathy and compassion for the most difficult situation I've ever been through in my life. Many times it wasn't necessarily something they said, but in their actions, such as: knowing when I needed some time alone with the baby and running interference so we wouldn't be disturbed by other nurses/caretakers, setting up a screen so we could have some privacy in the shared NICU room, and anticipating our (the family's) needs so that we could focus on the little time we had with our baby. Unfortunately one memory that also stands out was of one NICU nurse who was joking around with her colleagues and making a lot of noise, which seemed insensitive during a time when extra consideration would have been appreciated. Needless to say, the qualities I so appreciated while our baby lived are also the same qualities that I appreciated after our baby passed.
As a new neonatal nurse, you may find it helpful to find an outlet for the stress and difficult situations you will face. That could look different for different people, but could be something as simple-sounding as going for walks or other exercise, music, talking to colleagues/friends, etc.
Best of luck in your studies!
I am not a nurse, but wanted to provide my perspective as a parent who had a baby who passed away in the NICU. While we had many nurses during our NICU stay, the ones that made the biggest impact on me were those that expressed empathy and compassion for the most difficult situation I've ever been through in my life. Many times it wasn't necessarily something they said, but in their actions, such as: knowing when I needed some time alone with the baby and running interference so we wouldn't be disturbed by other nurses/caretakers, setting up a screen so we could have some privacy in the shared NICU room, and anticipating our (the family's) needs so that we could focus on the little time we had with our baby. Unfortunately one memory that also stands out was of one NICU nurse who was joking around with her colleagues and making a lot of noise, which seemed insensitive during a time when extra consideration would have been appreciated. Needless to say, the qualities I so appreciated while our baby lived are also the same qualities that I appreciated after our baby passed.
As a new neonatal nurse, you may find it helpful to find an outlet for the stress and difficult situations you will face. That could look different for different people, but could be something as simple-sounding as going for walks or other exercise, music, talking to colleagues/friends, etc.
Best of luck in your studies!
Updated
Race’s Answer
Hello Jessica,
First of all, I feel sorry to hear about the baby passed away, and please don't feel bad about it because is not your fault.
However, as a professional neonatal nurse, you should feel nothing regarding to the baby's death. Since many reasons could cause the baby death like sickness etc. As long as is not your fault to lead the baby's death, so you shouldn't feel anything about that.
As a normal person, it is normal to feel emotion but don't let that affect your professional.
Hope you will get better soon.
First of all, I feel sorry to hear about the baby passed away, and please don't feel bad about it because is not your fault.
However, as a professional neonatal nurse, you should feel nothing regarding to the baby's death. Since many reasons could cause the baby death like sickness etc. As long as is not your fault to lead the baby's death, so you shouldn't feel anything about that.
As a normal person, it is normal to feel emotion but don't let that affect your professional.
Hope you will get better soon.
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
Hey, Jessica, I am impressed that you think deeply and compassionately about your future career choices. Good for you! The practice of medicine can be very difficult and challenging but also fun and rewarding. As long as you know that you and your team take the very best care of patients that you can, you will feel sad for the babies that pass but know you took great loving care of them.
Good luck to you!
Good luck to you!