Reflexión sobre la experiencia de la muerte del paciente en mi ejercicio profesional
Death is a biological fact. It has always been a subject of deep reflection for man. Perhaps, it is the most significant experience for the individual himself, for his affections and for the physician who cares for him at the end of life. Materials and methods Descriptive cross-sectional study with...
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| Publicado en: | Revista Médica Universitaria |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://bdigital.uncu.edu.ar/fichas.php?idobjeto=8440 |
| Sumario: | Death is a biological fact. It has always been a subject of deep reflection for man. Perhaps, it is the most significant experience for the individual himself, for his affections and for the physician who cares for him at the end of life. Materials and methods Descriptive cross-sectional study with quantitative and qualitative techniques (participatory research). A self-administered and anonymous survey was used with structured, semi-structured and open questions that allowed an extensive account of the situation perceived before the death of the first patient in the professional practice and the death of the patient who most affected him/her(if these situations did not match). It included a report of perceptions, behaviors and the experiences lived. Sociodemographic variables and answers to closed questions were analyzed. From the extensive accounts, a qualitative analysis was made by coding the text in units of meaning with a descriptive statistical analysis of these units. Results 48 physicians participated. Of these, 35 physicians were under the age of 40 (Youngers) (mean age 29.54 years) and 13 were older (Olders) (mean age 62.5 years), 52% were women. The Youngers had an average of 4 years of professional experience and the Olders of 32 years. For the Youngers the patient was their first one in 63% of the cases, for the Olders in 46%. The main perception to the first deceased patient were sadness (54%), tranquility and distress (26%), impotence (23%), worry and grief (17%), and relief (14%) in the Youngers. Sadness, anguish, and impotence prevailed for the patient that most affected them. Among the Olders, when their first patient died, impotence and distress (46%) and sadness (38%) were the most frequent perceptions. When the most touching patient died, sadness and anguish prevailed followed by pain and impotence. Younger participants expressed more perceptions than the Olders. About the reflections, in both groups the impact of unexpected death and of young patients death predominated. Accompaniment, empathy with the family and a good physician-patient relationship caused tranquility and relief. A striking fact is that in the Olders guilt and frustration were felt when they couldn’t do any more for the patient. In the younger ones, surprise manifested in different situations. In both groups, impotence was manifested in situations that exceeded medical practice and that made them feel identified, with difficulties in separating personal and professional experience. Conclusions This research shows that we are human beings, not only physicians, and that death also affects us, with difficulties to confront it. This makes us think about how important the learning of accompaniment skills is in the initial formation. In the professionals, feelings were mobilized and a positive reflection was made. |
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