What unusual event did a hospice nurse witness with a critically ill patient?

The nurse witnessed a critically ill patient, who was unconscious and near death, suddenly awaken, walk around his room, and speak.

What is the 'second wind' phenomenon described by the nurse?

The 'second wind' is a phenomenon where individuals approaching death briefly experience a period of lucidity and wakefulness.

Where did this startling incident involving the patient near death occur?

This incident occurred in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, when the nurse was working the night shift.

Home / Health / Nurse Sees Patient Near Death Walk and Talk

Nurse Sees Patient Near Death Walk and Talk

6 Feb

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Summary

A hospice nurse witnessed a critically ill patient briefly awaken and walk.
The patient, near kidney failure, was unconscious before the incident.
The experienced nurse explained this as a 'second wind' before death.

Nurse Sees Patient Near Death Walk and Talk

A hospice nurse, now a doctor, recounted a startling event from her early days as a nurse in Phoenix, Arizona. Working the night shift, she was assigned to care for a patient suffering from kidney failure and was unconscious, having not eaten for days. The day nurse warned that the patient was near death and likely wouldn't survive the night.

Around midnight, the nurse was stunned to see the patient out of bed, walking and lucidly asking for his belongings. Concerned he would fall due to muscle weakness from being bedridden, she tried to calm him and get him to sit. She then sought help from another nurse, describing the unbelievable scene.

Upon returning to the room with the colleague, they found the patient back in bed, again unconscious and breathing deeply. An experienced nurse explained that this brief period of lucidity before death is sometimes referred to as a 'second wind.' The nurse recalled this as a deeply strange and impactful experience, having never witnessed such a phenomenon before or since.