Discussion – Pediatric Death

Discussion – Pediatric Death

No parent imagines that they would bury their child. Nature has it that a person ages and eventually dies. Therefore, a child dying suddenly or from a disease is seen as going against nature. It becomes an emotional burden and pain to the parents, who are often left with a fear that they may lose their other children (if they have any). Parents may become over-protective of the surviving children, which can negatively impact them and the surviving children (Mullen et al., 2015).

When a child dies from a chronic illness, it becomes a little less painful because the parents and siblings have time to come to terms with the imminent death. The child also has time to come to terms with the death (October et al., 2018). When an adult dies suddenly from an accident, it is often more of a shock to loved ones than it is a pain. Often, those left behind, though grieving, will look to the memories they had with the deceased and appreciate the time they had, an adult will be seen as having reached their prime time for death, and therefore, the pain of loss will be more or less be similar to losing a child after a long illness.

The standard thing I would do for parents whose child had died, whether after a long illness or suddenly, is to let them cry. Letting parents cry will help ease the pain and anguish they feel (Cole & Foito, 2019). Once the parents are composed, I would ask them if there is anyone who can take them back home. Also, I would inform them that a grief counselor is available in the hospital to help them in the grieving process. Additionally, I would let the parents know that they can come any time they feel ready to proceed with the burial planning. When they do come in, I would recommend to them funeral services that would make their child’s final journey special. Between the time the parents leave and when they come back, I will call on them at least once a day to ensure they are holding up well.

References

Cole, M. A., & Foito, K. (2019). Pediatric end-of-life simulation: preparing the future nurse to care for the needs of the child and family. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 44, e9-e12.

Mullen, J. E., Reynolds, M. R., & Larson, J. S. (2015). Caring for pediatric patients’ families at the child’s end of life. Critical Care Nurse, 35(6), 46-56.

October, T., Dryden-Palmer, K., Copnell, B., & Meert, K. L. (2018). Caring for parents after the death of a child. Pediatric critical care medicine: A Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies, 19(8), S61.

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Discussion – Pediatric Death

Guidelines
Support your initial discussion with a professional nursing journal that is no more than 5 years old.
Apply critical thinking through participation in selected topics
Incorporate topic discussion into clinical judgment and decision-making within the practice setting.

Pediatric Death

1. Thought about a child who is dying. Is the death of a child more tragic than the death of a middle-aged adult or an older adult? What if the child has a chronic condition and the adult experiences sudden death due to an accident? What actions would you take with the parents whose child has died it matters if the child was ill or it was a sudden death. Describe your communication with the parents.