4 answers
Janai
Student
Providence, Rhode Island
2
Questions
Updated
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How could someone prepare for losing a patient?
I am a pre-med biomedical science major and I know that I want to pursue surgery, I also know that as a surgeon there will come a time that I am not able to save a patients life and I would like some advice on how to prepare for the moment I love my first patient. #doctor #medicine #healthcare #pre-med #medical-school #doctorate-degree
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4 answers
Aaron A. Ali, MD
CEO, CoFounder at HeLiX
18
Answers
Updated
Aaron A.’s Answer
No one ever wants to lose a patient, but patients are sick at times and no matter what you do you may lose some. It happens rarely unless you are doing Oncology or hospice work. If it does happen, you show empathy to the family and grieve in your own way when the time is appropriate. Everyone has their own methods to deal with stress. You should hopefully be developing that skill well before medical school due to life experiences!
Madison Buchman
doctor
112
Answers
West Hartford
Updated
Madison’s Answer
Fortunately these instances (depending on what medical field you’re in) are rare but of course incredibly difficult. A lot of times it’s less common to lose a patient but to have smaller poor outcomes are also very troublesome. Having a good support system to talk these things through both with work colleagues who support you as well as therapists, family, friends is so important! Don’t ignore your feelings surrounding these events, talk them through, think through them, accept those feelings and think of how you can use this to do better for the next patient!
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6342
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Janai!
Guide to Coping with Patient Loss
Facing the emotional and psychological impact of losing a patient is a vital part of medical training, particularly for aspiring surgeons. Here's a detailed roadmap to help you deal with this challenging circumstance:
1. Acknowledge Medicine's Reality
The initial step towards preparing for a patient's loss is accepting that death is an unavoidable aspect of medicine. Despite medical advancements, not every patient can be saved. Grasping this truth aids in developing resilience and mentally equips you for future challenges.
2. Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI) is key in healthcare. It helps you identify your emotions and those of others, assisting you in handling grief or guilt when a patient passes away. Here are some strategies to boost your EI:
Self-reflection: Regularly evaluate your feelings about patient care and death.
Empathy training: Participate in activities that improve your capacity to empathize with patients and their families.
Mindfulness practices: Methods like meditation can help you remain calm in emotionally intense situations.
3. Establish Solid Support Networks
A strong support network is crucial when experiencing loss. This includes:
Mentorship: Seek advice from seasoned surgeons or physicians who have faced similar situations.
Peer support: Build relationships with fellow medical students or residents to exchange experiences and coping methods.
Professional counseling: Consider consulting with mental health experts specializing in grief counseling or burnout prevention.
4. Communicate Effectively with Patients and Families
Effective communication can lighten the load of loss for healthcare providers and families:
Honesty: Be open about the patient’s health status and prognosis.
Compassionate conversations: Handle end-of-life care discussions sensitively, allowing families to express their feelings.
Active listening: Allow families to voice their worries, fears, and aspirations.
5. Reflect on Your Experiences
After a patient's death, allocate time to ponder on the event:
Journaling: Document your thoughts and emotions about the incident; this can be healing.
Debriefing sessions: Join debriefing meetings with your team to discuss the event, possible alternative actions, and everyone's emotions.
6. Emphasize Continuous Learning
Each patient loss is a learning opportunity:
Case reviews: Examine cases with unexpected outcomes; identify contributing factors.
Seek feedback: Request insights from mentors or colleagues on how they manage similar situations.
7. Foster Resilience
Cultivating resilience will assist you in better handling losses over time:
Self-care practices: Prioritize physical wellbeing through exercise, balanced diet, and sufficient sleep.
Work-life balance: Maintain hobbies outside medicine that bring you happiness and relaxation.
8. Embrace Grief as Part of the Process
Lastly, it's crucial to understand that grief is a normal reaction to losing a patient:
Allow yourself to experience sadness without criticism; it's part of being human.
Recognize that grieving may take time; there's no fixed healing timeline.
By adhering to these steps, you can emotionally and psychologically equip yourself for the reality of losing patients throughout your medical career.
Top 3 Credible Sources Used:
American Medical Association (AMA) - Provides guidelines on physician well-being and coping mechanisms related to patient loss.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Offers research-based insights into emotional intelligence in healthcare settings.
The Journal of Surgical Research - Publishes studies on surgical education including handling patient mortality effectively within surgical practice contexts.
God Bless You!
JC.
Guide to Coping with Patient Loss
Facing the emotional and psychological impact of losing a patient is a vital part of medical training, particularly for aspiring surgeons. Here's a detailed roadmap to help you deal with this challenging circumstance:
1. Acknowledge Medicine's Reality
The initial step towards preparing for a patient's loss is accepting that death is an unavoidable aspect of medicine. Despite medical advancements, not every patient can be saved. Grasping this truth aids in developing resilience and mentally equips you for future challenges.
2. Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI) is key in healthcare. It helps you identify your emotions and those of others, assisting you in handling grief or guilt when a patient passes away. Here are some strategies to boost your EI:
Self-reflection: Regularly evaluate your feelings about patient care and death.
Empathy training: Participate in activities that improve your capacity to empathize with patients and their families.
Mindfulness practices: Methods like meditation can help you remain calm in emotionally intense situations.
3. Establish Solid Support Networks
A strong support network is crucial when experiencing loss. This includes:
Mentorship: Seek advice from seasoned surgeons or physicians who have faced similar situations.
Peer support: Build relationships with fellow medical students or residents to exchange experiences and coping methods.
Professional counseling: Consider consulting with mental health experts specializing in grief counseling or burnout prevention.
4. Communicate Effectively with Patients and Families
Effective communication can lighten the load of loss for healthcare providers and families:
Honesty: Be open about the patient’s health status and prognosis.
Compassionate conversations: Handle end-of-life care discussions sensitively, allowing families to express their feelings.
Active listening: Allow families to voice their worries, fears, and aspirations.
5. Reflect on Your Experiences
After a patient's death, allocate time to ponder on the event:
Journaling: Document your thoughts and emotions about the incident; this can be healing.
Debriefing sessions: Join debriefing meetings with your team to discuss the event, possible alternative actions, and everyone's emotions.
6. Emphasize Continuous Learning
Each patient loss is a learning opportunity:
Case reviews: Examine cases with unexpected outcomes; identify contributing factors.
Seek feedback: Request insights from mentors or colleagues on how they manage similar situations.
7. Foster Resilience
Cultivating resilience will assist you in better handling losses over time:
Self-care practices: Prioritize physical wellbeing through exercise, balanced diet, and sufficient sleep.
Work-life balance: Maintain hobbies outside medicine that bring you happiness and relaxation.
8. Embrace Grief as Part of the Process
Lastly, it's crucial to understand that grief is a normal reaction to losing a patient:
Allow yourself to experience sadness without criticism; it's part of being human.
Recognize that grieving may take time; there's no fixed healing timeline.
By adhering to these steps, you can emotionally and psychologically equip yourself for the reality of losing patients throughout your medical career.
Top 3 Credible Sources Used:
American Medical Association (AMA) - Provides guidelines on physician well-being and coping mechanisms related to patient loss.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Offers research-based insights into emotional intelligence in healthcare settings.
The Journal of Surgical Research - Publishes studies on surgical education including handling patient mortality effectively within surgical practice contexts.
God Bless You!
JC.
Allen Botnick DC CNIM
Chiropractor (disabled)
17
Answers
Alexandria, Virginia
Updated
Allen’s Answer
There are several good books by medical doctors about their own experiences losing patients. I would ask a librarian to research and find a few books then read them to acclimate. As a doctor one thing you have to do is to maintain some detachment and be ready to accept the worst in case it happens. Just accept that while you are doing your best everyone dies eventually and nobody is perfect. Books about grieving and accepting death are important too, not just as a doctor but as a person. Eventually someone you care about will die.
Medically death is interesting as you learn a lot from the experience. Try to see the upside on how you can be a better doctor from it. Always try to reframe things into a positive so you can learn and grow from the experience somehow.
Here are some books I found.
That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour Paperback – March 3, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/That-Good-Night-Medicine-Eleventh/dp/0735223327/ref=sr_1_19?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670340900&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-19&asin=0735223327&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom Hardcover – Illustrated, July 7, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Dying-Reviving-Forgotten/dp/0062932632/ref=sr_1_19?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670341122&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-19
Preparing for a Better End: Expert Lessons on Death and Dying for You and Your Loved Ones Hardcover – November 17, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Better-End-Expert-Lessons/dp/1421439166/ref=sr_1_20?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670341122&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-20
Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death Paperback – June 10, 2014
"A thoroughly researched and compelling mix of personal narrative and hard-nosed reporting that captures just how flawed care at the end of life has become." (Abraham Verghese, T he New York Times Book Review).
https://www.amazon.com/Knocking-Heavens-Door-Better-Death/dp/1451641982/ref=sr_1_20?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670340900&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-20&asin=1451641982&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
The Smooth River: Finding Inspiration and Exquisite Beauty during Terminal Illness. Lessons from the Front Line. Paperback – October 26, 2021
https://www.amazon.com/Smooth-River-Inspiration-Exquisite-Terminal/dp/1737503409/ref=sr_1_27?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670341122&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-27
Stories from the Emergency Department Kindle Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Emergency-Department-Mary-Engrav-ebook/dp/B004Y5NMYI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RIIC69PVH6RM&keywords=medical+doctor+emergency+department&qid=1670341313&refinements=p_72%3A1250221011&rnid=1250219011&s=books&sprefix=medical+doctor+emergency+department+%2Caps%2C74&sr=1-1
Farewell: Vital End-of-Life Questions with Candid Answers from a Leading Palliative and Hospice Physician Kindle Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-End-Life-Questions-Palliative-ebook/dp/B07H11PCQ2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670340900&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-5
Medically death is interesting as you learn a lot from the experience. Try to see the upside on how you can be a better doctor from it. Always try to reframe things into a positive so you can learn and grow from the experience somehow.
Here are some books I found.
That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour Paperback – March 3, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/That-Good-Night-Medicine-Eleventh/dp/0735223327/ref=sr_1_19?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670340900&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-19&asin=0735223327&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom Hardcover – Illustrated, July 7, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Dying-Reviving-Forgotten/dp/0062932632/ref=sr_1_19?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670341122&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-19
Preparing for a Better End: Expert Lessons on Death and Dying for You and Your Loved Ones Hardcover – November 17, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Better-End-Expert-Lessons/dp/1421439166/ref=sr_1_20?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670341122&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-20
Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death Paperback – June 10, 2014
"A thoroughly researched and compelling mix of personal narrative and hard-nosed reporting that captures just how flawed care at the end of life has become." (Abraham Verghese, T he New York Times Book Review).
https://www.amazon.com/Knocking-Heavens-Door-Better-Death/dp/1451641982/ref=sr_1_20?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670340900&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-20&asin=1451641982&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
The Smooth River: Finding Inspiration and Exquisite Beauty during Terminal Illness. Lessons from the Front Line. Paperback – October 26, 2021
https://www.amazon.com/Smooth-River-Inspiration-Exquisite-Terminal/dp/1737503409/ref=sr_1_27?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670341122&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-27
Stories from the Emergency Department Kindle Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Emergency-Department-Mary-Engrav-ebook/dp/B004Y5NMYI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RIIC69PVH6RM&keywords=medical+doctor+emergency+department&qid=1670341313&refinements=p_72%3A1250221011&rnid=1250219011&s=books&sprefix=medical+doctor+emergency+department+%2Caps%2C74&sr=1-1
Farewell: Vital End-of-Life Questions with Candid Answers from a Leading Palliative and Hospice Physician Kindle Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-End-Life-Questions-Palliative-ebook/dp/B07H11PCQ2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=382MR62BJKFA3&keywords=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying&qid=1670340900&sprefix=books+about+doctor+experiences+grief+dying%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-5