"We Need You to Pronounce Someone"

Pronounce someone?
Yes, pronounce this person dead.
Oh, I see. What room? Ok, I'll be there.

One of the things a young physician learns to do is to pronounce someone dead. As an intern, my first time was the second month (August) of residency. It was one of the several pages I received that night. "Now what?" I thought as I saw the extension on my beeper. The first thing I did was page my senior.

"Hey, I have to pronounce someone. What do I need to do? I haven't done this, " I asked B.
"Well, first of all, you don't go in the room & say, ' Yep he's dead' " B joked with me (he used humor frequently which was an asset on dreadful nights).

There is actually a protocol. Certain steps/actions you must do. Of course, one must document it in the chart.

Luckily, that night, the person with the recently deceased was someone who was prepared for this moment. She was there to provide comfort & company for this person on the last day of his life. She knew this moment would come. I didn't have to worry about consoling a distraught family member or friend.

So I went on to perform this "ritual" several times during residency. Sometimes the person died alone (he/she had no living relatives left). Other times, I had to deliver the bad news to the family in the middle of the night. Other times, it was after the family decided to withdraw care so their loved one could finally rest in peace. I always tried to take some time to mourn their death even if I didn't know the person. It just felt like the right/proper thing to do. I would often take a moment of silence when no one else was in the room - after the "chaos" had dissipated. I would stand by the bed and pray that he/she had found peace...freedom from pain and suffering.