Coping with the Loss of a Patient |
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Posted By: Julie Shenkman In: Healthcare & Medical
Where I can learn how to cope with the loss of a patient? Check out HealthcareJobSite.com.
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Healthcare jobs all have one important factor in common; sooner or later those who work for healthcare companies must cope with the loss of a patient. Classroom training and personal preparation are helpful, but nothing replaces actual life experience when it comes to dealing with death and dying.
For some, the initial loss is immediately felt and must be dealt with; for others, delayed reactions are typical. There is no standard response; everyone copes with death in his or her own ways.
Good healthcare companies recognize that there’s no single solution to helping their employees. That’s why there are so many programs and support groups to help their employees manage this sensitive issue. Counseling services, whether offered by the company or those you seek out on your own, can be critical in developing your professional skills in the healthcare environment.
Not everyone copes with death well in the early days of their work in hospitals or healthcare centers. Counseling is designed not to “fix” those who seek it, but rather to help them work through their own issues with a bit of expert guidance. If you are self-conscious about taking advantage of the counseling help offered in the workplace, seek out your own counselor in the local community.
Any area with a thriving healthcare industry also has an underlying support system of trained professionals who can address your needs for learning how to cope with death on the job.
There are other ways to cope with the loss of a patient. You can get perspective from senior staff members, become familiar with books such as On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross MD, and participating in community healthcare support groups for your specialty area.
Do you notice a common thread in most of these coping methods? It’s crucial for those who lack experience with losing patients avoid trying to cope alone. The help and advice of other people is one of the most important factors in successfully dealing with this difficult issue. Some are surprised at how much of a difference the support of even a single person can make. Don’t cheat yourself out of such help by isolating yourself from your peers.
In the same way patients are advised not to treat their own ailments, healthcare companies know their workers should seek out colleagues and counselors to better develop coping mechanisms for death in the workplace.
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