Final Gifts a Book by Maggie Callahan and Patrician Kelly

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After reading the different stories in the book “Final Gifts”, I believe I have a better understanding of the nurse’s role in caring for the needs of the dying patient and how their families need to be guided through this experience. The different stories in this book provide insight into the experiences of the dying as well as how their loved ones cope with their loss. The authors Maggie Callahan and Patrician Kelly, experienced hospice nurses who have extensive exposure to dying patients and their families, through their shared stories, paint a picture of what the dying want. To many, death is a difficult concept. As a nursing student, I have had some exposure to death during patient care. My first encounter with direct death was witnessing a patient after attempted resuscitation efforts die in the emergency department. As I observed others reactions, I noticed I was the only one who seemed fazed by the preceding events and the end result, although I didn’t show it outwardly. During my Aging and End of life clinical rotation, I have been exposed to a near death experience with a family and I had the rewarding experience of forming a relationship with the patient’s wife during the short hour I was in their home. From reading the accounts in this book, it confirmed to me the importance of catering to the needs of the family and the dying as an important issue to address as they are critical to overall care. As a nurse, it is important to address the needs of a patient during care. These needs are unique to each individual and personalizing it, enable the patients to feel truly cared about. It is important to be educated about these needs as the patients and their families look to you as a guide; therefore, education on things w... ... middle of paper ... ...en and died in a posture of cradling a baby with a look of happiness on her face (Callanan, 1992, p. 191). This helped her family find solace that she did not die alone and that she will be reunited with a loved one and this helped her family in their grieving process. The stories in this book were great to read. I was expecting to be somewhat depressed by so many stories of death but I was inspired and learned a lot about how to communicate effectively. I was uplifted by the amount of compassion, love and kindness shared during times of grief. It is important to recognize that although people may be days or hours from dying, they are still an individual going through a transition, with unique emotions and sensations. Caregivers have the honor of being a part of families' lives, if only for a short time as they go through this experience with their dying loved one.

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