"Losing a patient is one of the hardest parts of our job. I support my team by being there to talk if they are upset and letting them take a break to gather their thoughts. We have a great nursing support team that helps in situations like this, allowing the team member to talk through their emotions. I have found that it usually helps to let the staff member grieve and recover before becoming involved in patient care with their other patients."

"I understand how hard it is to lose a patient, but I also know it is part of our job. I would support my staff member by pulling them aside and letting them know they did all they could for the patient. I would allow them to grieve but remind them they have other patients who need their excellent care. I would suggest they use the resources provided by the organization to address compassion fatigue and let them take time to recover before attending to their patients."

Sometimes when a patient is lost it really hits a staff member really hard. I try to support that staff member by giving them the opportunity to talk about if they need to. They may also need to take a step away from the unit for a little while to process how they are feeling. I will help cover their patients during this time so that they are able to take those minutes alone. I also let staff know about available resources the hospital provides regarding counseling and support for the days following that shift.