Week commencing 17th September:
Today I was asked by a staff nurse to assist her undertaking last offices for a patient whom I hadn’t taken care of previously in the day. The staff nurse talked me through what she was aiming to do, how she would treat the patient and feelings I may experience, as I had never seen or looked after a patient whom had passed away. As I entered the room I felt the cold breeze flow past me, I smelt a clinical smell as I came from behind the curtain too see a chalky grey, pail, yellow skinned outer shell of a thin lady lying on the bed. As I went around the opposite side of the bed the staff nurse asked me to help her to take the ladies hospital gown off after she had removed her catheter, check to make sure there were no pressure ulcers or bed sores and assisted to wash her from head to toe only exposing the body parts we were washing at the time. I held the lady towards me on her side as the staff nurse cleaned her back maintaining the ladies dignity at all times. We then replaced the hospital gown with on of the ladies own pretty pink collared one, I then held her head, which was heavy, very floppy and life less to comb her hair, the nurse carried on talking to the patient and informing her what we were doing. The nurse continued to ask me throughout the event if I was ok and needed to go out. I held the ladies cold blue fingertips and was expecting her to start breathing again, continuing to look across and seeing no movement on her chest. A tear entered the corner of my eye as we placed a clean sheet on top of the lady, pulling her arms out and placed by the side of her, she looked comfortable, peaceful and painless. A piece of printed paper including information about the ladies time of death, date of birth and staff nurses signature placed on her chest, this prevents any mix up during the transfer to the mortuary. As we left the