DEIRDRE MCSHARRY: HONOURABLE MENTION
Helping families deal with death
May 10, 2008
Valerie Hauch
TORONTO STAR
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
– Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet
Deirdre McSharry may share the same Celtic heritage as Dylan Thomas, but her views when death comes calling are decidedly different.
Helping her patients go gentle into that good night is the goal of the Toronto RN, who specializes in palliative care. This year, she garnered an honourable mention in the Star's Nightingale Award, which recognizes outstanding nursing.
"We're all going to die," says McSharry, who radiates a natural warmth and has a crinkly smile that lights up her face.
"But when I tell people what I do, I hear, `Oh, it must be depressing.' But to be able to allow someone to die at home, when that is what they want – to give them that final wish, to be with their family – this is very rewarding," says McSharry, who often hears from family members after a loved one's death, about how happy they were she was able to help them.
Seeing McSharry in action has made a huge impression on Dr. Lorraine Wood, who nominated her for the award. Wood has worked with McSharry often in the past three years, since becoming a home palliative care physician.
In her 30 years as a doctor, Wood says she has "never quite seen a nurse like her. She has exceptional medical and technical skills, from starting IVs, to giving shots that never seem to be felt, to carefully dressing wounds.
"She has generously shared her expertise with me and taught me how to better care for my patients."
But where McSharry really "excels," says Wood, is with the "kindness, patience, compassion, empathy, humour and energy she brings to our patients, who are struggling with horrendous medical, psychological, and spiritual problems as they approach death."
McSharry's day usually starts at about 7:45 a.m. and ends ... well, "you go until you're done," she says.
She usually visits the home by herself – from about a half-hour to two hours – but is in close contact with doctors like Wood and, sometimes, will call the doctor in to see a patient.
"Community nursing is very challenging," says McSharry, 42, who works mostly in the former city of York. She has been a nurse since 1987 but has specialized in community nursing for the past 11 years, working for S.R.T. Med-Staff, which contracts with government-funded Community Care Access Centres.
"You're providing services in a home environment – and they're all different, and you're going from house to house."
In addition to helping the patient, McSharry also spends time with the family, who are often emotional and on edge, and deals with the associated physical and spiritual issues.
Often, she finds herself welcomed and treated almost as a member of the family, since she is sharing such a sensitive and emotional time with them. Interestingly, she says, a client can be ready for death "but the family is not," she says. "That can be very draining.
"I try and listen to everyone ... even when you're busy, you have to stop and listen. Sometimes, if they can just talk to you for five minutes, it reduces their anxiety 100 per cent and they'll be okay until the next visit."
She jokes that she is often asked to sit down and have some coffee and biscotti, and urged to eat because she's on the slender side.
"I drink all this espresso! But I like to sit at the kitchen table with families, it's relaxing for them. They get to vent. I tell them about their options, see if they need increased nursing or if they need respite care (someone who comes into the home to offer personal care services to give a family caregiver a break) or shift nurses (a nurse who stays in the home for a period of time)."
For some clients and family, the fear and anxiety about death is linked to not knowing what's going to happen.
"For me, I like to explain things to my clients ... if they understand what's going to happen, what we can do about pain management, what the options are. I always keep them informed. It's not as scary that way."
Most of her clients want to breathe their last at home, not in a hospital.
"It's very comforting for them to be at home, have their family nearby."
Toronto Star