{"id":1315,"date":"2021-02-08T17:39:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T17:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?p=1315"},"modified":"2024-10-14T23:38:50","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T23:38:50","slug":"how-to-cope-with-a-patients-death-in-medical-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/how-to-cope-with-a-patients-death-in-medical-school","title":{"rendered":"How to Cope With A Patient&#8217;s Death in Medical School"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In This Article<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/how-to-cope-with-a-patients-death-in-medical-school\/#My_first_experience_with_a_patients_death_in_medical_school\" >My first experience with a patient\u2019s death in medical school<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/how-to-cope-with-a-patients-death-in-medical-school\/#Unhealthy_coping_mechanisms_for_dealing_with_a_patients_death\" >Unhealthy coping mechanisms for dealing with a patient\u2019s death<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/how-to-cope-with-a-patients-death-in-medical-school\/#How_can_you_cope_with_a_patients_death\" >How can you cope with a patient\u2019s death?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Patient care in medical school involves the two sides of a coin: recovery or deterioration of the patient\u2019s health. Many medical students may not be fully prepared for the impact of losing a patient. Join Joy Muli, a medical student and Osmosis Medical Education Fellow, as she shares how to deal with a patient\u2019s death using four coping strategies.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_first_experience_with_a_patients_death_in_medical_school\"><\/span>My first experience with a patient\u2019s death in medical school<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I knew I would have to face death often once I chose to pursue a career in medicine, but I don\u2019t think I was ever fully prepared for it. In my third year, during my Internal Medicine rotation, I encountered a patient in dire need of resuscitation at the Accident and Emergency ward. He had been wheeled in following a grisly accident and was in a terrible condition. I was uncertain on what to do as it was my first clinical year, but I was willing to help in whichever way I could. What happened that evening is all so blurry to me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A feeling of helplessness hung over the team attending to the young man; the hospital casualty ward was particularly overwhelmed that night, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Clinical_Skills:_Mechanical_ventilation_-_conventional_ventilators\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ventilation machines<\/a>&nbsp;were scarce. The manual resuscitation using the bag-valve mask became exhausting, my feeble hands needing frequent reinforcement from the more experienced nurses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then came silence amidst the buzzing of the machines in the Resuscitation room; a moment I\u2019ll never forget. The ominous conclusion had to be made, even though I was in complete denial of it all. The doctor on call gave me a gentle nod, a signal to stop the manual ventilation. He then went on to record the time of death. The patient had died in our hands, right there on the resuscitation table in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I remember walking out of the Resuscitation room shortly after with many questions. I wondered whether as a junior student I had done the right thing. Did I make mistakes during the resuscitation process? Why wasn\u2019t there any available ventilator?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The guilt and blame game only intensified when I thought through the bottlenecks in the system, including the red tape surrounding medical equipment that I had witnessed. Had all these factors cost the patient his life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My journey home was a long one; silently wiping tears from my eyes, overwhelmed by all that had happened. I gave my family a brief explanation of what had happened once I got home in an attempt to debrief. But again I wondered: how much should I share with them? Will my constant stories about death be too gruesome for them to bear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Clinician&#039;s Corner: How to deliver bad news\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UJShdc8hXgk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/How_to_deliver_bad_news?from=\/core-competencies\/interpersonal-and-communication-skills\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;How to deliver bad news&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/profile\/rishi-desai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Rishi Desai, MD, MPH<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Unhealthy_coping_mechanisms_for_dealing_with_a_patients_death\"><\/span>Unhealthy coping mechanisms for dealing with a patient\u2019s death<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m now well into my clinical years but it\u2019s still difficult to deal with death. I don\u2019t think anyone can really say they are unfazed by it. Unfortunately, many see an emotional response to death as a sign of weakness\u2014and even incompetence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the unhealthy coping mechanisms we can have as medical students include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Substance_misuse_and_addiction:_Clinical_practice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Substance use disorders<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Becoming numb to death<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;Suppressing emotions such as grief, despair, or sadness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internalizing\/personalizing the death<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Studying medicine puts one in an environment of great highs and great lows. &nbsp;Some patients walk joyfully out of the hospital; others are wheeled off into the mortuary. Amidst all this, we should face every day knowing that time and chance happen to us all. Which is why we must learn to appropriately deal with a patient\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/4-ways-to-cope-with-patients-death.png\" alt=\"4 ways to cope with a patient's death: Empathize with the patient's family, seek counseling and grief support services, express how you feel, prioritize self-care.\" class=\"wp-image-1317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/4-ways-to-cope-with-patients-death.png 701w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/4-ways-to-cope-with-patients-death.png?resize=300,200 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_you_cope_with_a_patients_death\"><\/span>How can you cope with a patient\u2019s death?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As medical students, we must be intentional not to ignore death, but instead, walk through all the motions accompanying death . So how can you cope with it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Empathize with the patient\u2019s family:<\/strong>&nbsp;Give them the emotional support\/comfort you can; a comforting word, a hug if it\u2019s appropriate, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Express how you feel:<\/strong>&nbsp;Grieve if you must. Take some time to cry it out or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/narrative-medicine\">journal your thoughts<\/a>&nbsp;as this will help you process your emotions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seek counselling and grief support services:<\/strong>&nbsp;To offer a sounding board for any guilt\/false thoughts you may have internalized following the death of a patient.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prioritize self-care:<\/strong>&nbsp;Frequently carve out time for activities you enjoy, offloading emotional stress that could lead to burnout and compassion fatigue.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you face a patient\u2019s death, remember that the death may be a megaphone reminding you that life is fleeting, but in the same breath, it is a gentle whisper reminding you to be thankful for every moment of life you still have.<strong>About Joy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Joy Mueni Muli is a fifth-year MBChB student at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/med-school.uonbi.ac.ke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Nairobi<\/a>. She is originally from Nairobi, Kenya, and plans to go into Oncology. She enjoys writing on&nbsp;<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.muenimuli.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">her personal blog<\/a>&nbsp;and having deep conversations about life with friends and family. You can also find her engrossed in her books one moment and bursting out into song the next\u2014a true creative scientist!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/image_13ab69.png?w=700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/image_13ab69.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/image_13ab69.png?resize=300,107 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>____________________________<br><\/em><br><em><strong><em>Try Osmosis today! Access your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/login?type=create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free trial<\/a>&nbsp;and find out why millions of clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patient care in medical school involves the two sides of a coin: recovery or deterioration of the patient\u2019s health. Many medical students may not be fully prepared for the impact of losing a patient. Join Joy Muli, a medical student and Osmosis Medical Education Fellow, as she shares how to deal with a patient\u2019s death [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":1316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,22,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medicine","category-health-and-wellness","category-student-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Cope With A Patient&#039;s Death in Medical School - Osmosis Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/how-to-cope-with-a-patients-death-in-medical-school\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Cope With A Patient&#039;s Death in Medical School - Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Patient care in medical school involves the two sides of a coin: recovery or deterioration of the patient\u2019s health. 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