Death and the Nurse

As a registered nurse, I have encountered death in its manifold manifestations. Indeed, death is an everyday experience. Biologically and metaphorically speaking, dying is what it means to have life, and to live is to die moment by moment.

One thinker once said that "Dying is as normal as being born." From a biological perspective, it is practically true. Everyday, millions of cells die as millions more are being born. This is the eternal paradox of life - that in dying birth is made possible. But death is more than the corruption, destruction, and annihilation of life - it is life itself. For death does not only erase an entity, it simultaneously makes it possible for life in the same or some other form to exist. Take for example the black hole, that all powerful remnant of a dying star, so powerful that it even bends and sucks light into it. As it reaches its critical mass, it explodes and from it a new form of cosmic substances are sprung forth.

Philosophically speaking, death is just a way for life to renew itself. We die everyday. When we get retrenched from our jobs, we die. When loved ones part, we die. When friends leave us, we die. When relationships break, we die. But in as much as death brings pain, it also brings life, it brings life because it renews us. The renewal can take the form of a more profound understanding of what it means to be alive, to live life, to understand and experience the experience of life.

Nurses are unique professionals in that they encounter life and death on a regular basis. As such, the nurse must have a clear view of what his thoughts on life and death are, for the understanding of what it is for him to have life and to witness death can impact how he deals with the patient, the significant others of the patient, and his fellow health care team members. If a nurse for example views life as not only the search for meaning but the experience of living, then he exudes in himself a sense of quiet confidence that can calm a patient and make him a willing partner in the healthcare process.

In the same way, a nurse who sees death as a moment of reunion, reflection and renewal will radiate to dying patients a sense of dignified calm and fortitude of spirit. This will help the patient, the family and the healthcare team make the dying experience an avenue for emotional growth and enable the dying patient face death with peace and serenity.