death and dying

Discuss the term "clinical death," especially with respect to when not to initiate CPR. Discuss what is meant by a "peaceful death" and a "good death," including goals for End-Of-Life care. How would you feel if you knew your patients did not want CPR but the family insisted on it? This is a discussion note double space. No cover pages. You can use these notes from the textbook. Although dying is part of the normal life cycle, it is often feared as a time of pain and suffering. For the family, death of a member is a life-altering loss that can cause significant and prolonged suffering. As sad and difficult as the death may be, the experience of dying need not be physically painful for the patient or emotionally agonizing for the family. The dying process can be an opportunity to change a difficult situation into one that is tolerable, peaceful, comfortable, and meaningful for the patient and the family left behind. Because nurses spend more time with patients than do any other members of the interprofessional health care team, it is the nurse who often has the greatest impact on an adult's experience with death. A nurse can affect the dying process to prevent death without dignity (sometimes referred to as a bad death) from occurring while striving to promote a peaceful and meaningful death (sometimes referred to as a good death). A peaceful death is one that is free from avoidable distress and suffering for patients and families, in agreement with patients' and families' wishes, and consistent with clinical practice standards. Table 7-1 lists the most common causes of death in the United States. Of all people who die, only a small percentage of them die suddenly and unexpectedly. Most people die after a long period of illness (e.g., cardiac, renal, respiratory disease), with gradual deterioration until a significant decline preceding death. Most people who die are older than 65 years. In most countries family and other lay caregivers provide the majority of long-term home care. In some countries such as Canada, these caregivers may be compensated by the local or provincial government for the health care they provide. Reference Ignatavicius, D.D., Workman, M.L., Rebar, C.R., & Heimgartner, N.M. (2018). Medical-surgical nursing: Concepts for interprofessional collaborative care (9th edition). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier