All of my friends think I'm insane........... No One Dies Alone

[Drftpretty]

So I signed up for a program at the hospital called NODA (No One Dies Alone) its a volunteer program that prepares you to sit with patients who are about to die. Now I already work in the hospital so Im on grounds all the time.

These patients either do not have any family alive or the family cannot be at bedside in the trauma bay before they pass away. Im not super religious or anything but I just cant stand the thought of someone spending their last moments alone in a hospital bed.

Given my current situation and all the free time I suddenly found on my hands I would really like to give back in anyway I can while I have time to.

I've been running this by my friends and family and none of them seem to support me in this. I'm going to do it but I was just curious if Im pretty much alone in my train of thought here.

Thoughts?

[97TurboDSM]

if you are able to do this without getting attached to the deceased then i say its an awesome idea.

[The Captain]

Could I do it? No way.

But I think it's a really genuine thing to do if you can stomach the idea of watching people die constantly. If you can, more power to you.

PS - I'm a loser and thought of Donnie Darko when i saw the title.

[ndubz]

its a great thing to do, just dont get too attached. And if its too much for you then stop. this could throw you into deppression so please be careful.

[Renegade_]

Vicarious trauma - be careful

[abrok99]

thats cool that your doing that but thats not for me. but really really cool that your doing that.

[Drftpretty]

Originally Posted by 97TurboDSM

if you are able to do this without getting attached to the deceased then i say its an awesome idea.

Thats what I thought, Its not like a regular visit type deal. You are paged when vitals are nose-diving and death is near. It can be either minutes away or hours away.

[agoodall]

I dont think I could do it, but it is a great thing you are doing helping someone feel a little more comfortable and less alone in their last moments on this plane of existence.

[russiankid]

Its a great thing like everything else said, but I couldn't watch a person die.

[drifty240]

Mad Props for stepping up to be there for a stranger but like everyone said be careful being around death even if your not related is very depressing. Seen my share if death when i was in the Army it can be rather unnerving and eat away at you...

[SvicksTc]

Originally Posted by The Captain

Could I do it? No way.

But I think it's a really genuine thing to do if you can stomach the idea of watching people die constantly. If you can, more power to you.

Feel the same way

[Drftpretty]

One of my buddies just texted me and told me that there are easier ways to pad my resume. What a D-bag.

I hear what everyone is saying about not getting burnt out or letting it eat away at me. There is always a chaplain present if a religion is know to the hospital before death so I wouldnt be alone with the patient persay. But the chaplains arent allowed to actually make physical contact with the patients (hold a hand).

[Renegade_]

Props for you to go do this. You obviously either thought this out a lot or not at all, but you seem like you know what you are doing so I'll go with the first! I think it will give you a great sense of satisfaction with your own life, but be careful not to dwell on their deaths, know when to separate it. This is a huge deal in the field of clinical psych. I've come damn close to taking things too far with things in a clinical setting and you will have to detach yourself absolutely.

You'll deal with all sorts of people, those ready, those who aren't, those too young, those too old, and those who never should be here in the first place; pace yourself, its volunteer work which means you can back out anytime. Good luck, glad to see some people getting into the humanitarian side of things.

[Proven]

I think its amazing what your going to do. Yeah it can eat at you and you may be effected but whats more sad and depressing is that theres people passing on with no one around. I know when I pass if I didnt have anyone around I would appreciate the hell out of a stranger showing they cared for what I was about to go threw..

Props man!!!! big time!

[ej06WRX]

i agree with justin, and if you can handle it, more power to you.

[Eclipse GSX 61]

I mean if you can do it, do it. I wouldn't be able to do that for many reasons. One I believe in ghosts and stupid stuff like that so I have a feeling it would come back later, I couldn't sit there with someone who was just dying that I didn't know and be super remorseful, and I'd just feel sad for the people because they are obviously dying. Props to you though.

[k!mmy]

Aw, that is really sweet of you. I'd probably get attached weather it'd be 5 minutes or 5 hours with the patient and wind up balling my eyes out.
I don't know if I could do it, just for the sheer fact I get real emotional about that kinda stuff... weather I know the person well or not...
Hats off to you!

[Renegade_]

Originally Posted by Eclipse GSX 61

I couldn't sit there with someone who was just dying that I didn't know and be super remorseful, and I'd just feel sad for the people because they are obviously dying. Props to you though.

Its not to show remorse or empathy to them, it is just to give them the sense that they aren't going into the unknown alone. Death is typecast as a very scary thing in American society; in other cultures it is different (people celebrate the death of infants in certain South American communities because they believe that they don't have to go through the life of suffering in order to go into commune with god).

Just being there is what matters.

[Drftpretty]

^Truth. Im not really worried about getting attached. Im more scared of the silence when sitting with them. What do I read a book to them or something? I have been around death enough to know what it looks like before it happens. Nail beds turn yellow/ green as blood rushes to vital organs, death breathe which is horrid breathe that literally smells like death, and then the release of all the sphincters of the body.

I've seen that stuff so im not really worried about how Ill react with the sights. More to deal with the fact that Ill be covering 3 hospitals and a hospice center and since we are a level one trauma center with specialty pediatrics/ burn/ trauma neuro/ dialysis/ and orthopaedics. Ill be seeing death in ever stage of life and every possible path to it. Kinda creepy.

[james_ls]

I honestly thing it's an extremely noble thing to do.

I don't know what the side-effects would be, but if this is something you believe you can handle, do it.

Don't be a hero, realize your human, and use it as a check when this gets hectic.