Helping Nursing Assistants with Dying and Death

Nursing assistants have multitasking skills that they assist nurses to every emergency situation; ensure that the basic needs of the patients are met and that they make every individual to feel better and comfortable thus providing the best possible care for them.

But in terms of dying and death, this is a sensitive issue. It is really difficult to handle this matter especially when nursing assistant is inexperience. But this case is inevitable to do and it should be familiar with. They should accept that this is a part of their field to care for the patient as well as to the family members. They should adopt and respect what’s the family’s point of view about death and dying. They should react according to the needs of the family members but they should avoid taking these situations emotionally as they encounter frequently in this profession.

In dealing with the dying and death, Nursing Assistants should give the best comfort and compassion for patients and their families during those critical moments. They have to provide all their efforts to make the patient comfortable. Caring for the dying patient is important to watch out for their vital signs, body positioning to avoid bed sores, heat or air conditioning and pain relievers should be administered as needed to reduce the pain. And in their final hours of their life, the patient’s mouth tends to become very dry and in this situation one needs to give ice chips or damp the lips with wet cotton balls or apply petroleum jelly if the patient’s lips start cracking.

Nursing Assistants should be aware with signs of death which include slowing of circulation, loss of muscle tone, breathing pattern changes and blurred vision. All objective details should be documented in the patient's chart and immediately notify the charge Nurse of the situation.

It makes sense when doing the job in a right manner. Being a nursing assistant is a fulfillment that one can help and make other people comfortable even to their last minute of their life.



June 2009 nursing board exam result