Pronouncing patients dead

President Gordon Hinckley, prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) died tonight @ 7 P.M. This got me thinking of the times that I pronounced a patient dead. Quite frankly, it was the most akward thing I have ever done. I walked into the room, and didn't really know what to say. I wallked out of the room with the resident and still didn't know what to say to the family, who was waiting outside the room. All I could think to do was to shake their hand and say, "I'm sorry for your loss" (they already knew the patient was dead, thus, no "I'm sorry, but your loved one has died".). I felt so dumb.

I know that KCOM has a difficult topics lecture and lab, but we don't have a lecture on pronouncing patients and how to handle the family. We were told to find a good time to break the news...uhhh, there really is no good time. Walking to another location would be weird, since the family already knows what has happened. I would like to know how best to handle a pronouncement that takes place in the unit with family already there. Curriculum committee, are you listening?

Erik

---sent from my treo 700p...pardon my spelling---