I am appalled at the Nurse on BBC1`s "BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH" discussing a patient`s prognosis over him while he lays there unconscious.

[OnEdge]

WTF does she think she is doing????

Fucking outrageous, she should keep her opinions for the staff room.

No way should she be discussing his future while she is shaving him !!!

That is a person she is talking about who may well be able to understand every word she says !!!

I am really really shocked and upset by this.

Umm ... I think the clue is in the word 'unconscious'. Not the same as in a coma.

And it's not real you know, it's just telly

I thought the same OnEdge.

It is real actually. It is a documentary, it is very real. And what is the difference between him being in a coma and unconscious? Its the same thing !!!! Fuck meeeee !!

I was a little concerned by that too....she included him in the conversation at the end but the earlier comments she made appeared to disregard the fact he may hear.

She wants fucking sacking!
Sorry to rant but it really is dreadful care. Arrogant twat nurse.

only just switched on to this programme.

Heartaching stuff.

I had a wonderful,intelligent and ablebodied uncle how suffered a severe head injury and then lived in care & bedridden for 15 years after.

And that is in a unit that specialises in head injuries

OOOH I need to calm down.

If someone is unconscious then they don't know what's going on. That's what the word means. When someone is in a coma, they are in a deep sleep where they may or may not be able to hear and process stuff that goes on.

He was answering questions with eye movements which suggests he has some understanding of what was happening.

I watched it but somehow missed that part.

That isn't appropriate. Surely the patient should always be treated as though they're fully aware.

I noticed other staff members doing just that, as they should.

It is fact that in a coma or unconscious, hearing is the last sense to go to either way, you NEVER talk about a patient in that way in front of them. It was actually made clear earlier that this particular patient was not in a coma or unconscious, he could only communicate by moving his eyes, so I am with you on this OnEdge.

Handprints and lock of hair had me bawling though

I was shocked at that tbh.

I think the docu makers put the nurse in a difficult position asking her over the patient but she should have given a more neutral answer.

It was incredibly sad. The family taking locks of their daughter's hair,before life support was removed, was heartbreaking. I can't imagine the pain of that.

That really does sound awful. I didn't watch it and thought it was fiction. Clearly not. Apologies ...

It makes no difference, she still shouldn`t do it. She isnt qualified to assess his level of understanding or consciousness and therefore should not be discussing ANYTHING over him.

Well I don't know what you would have done if you had heard the doctor urging me to sign my sister's organs away for donation 'harvesting' when standing next to her, and talking over her and she in a coma....

Och, that doctor was a revolting little specimen. I only hope nothing bad ever happens to him, or any of his family - not sure he would be able to handle it at all. It might blow his circuits.

The recipients of my sisters' organs are all alive and kicking BTW. I don't regret it now, but it did make the decision harder as I was so appalled by his inhuman attitude.

He had the empathy of an amoeba (and maybe I'm being unfair to amoebas, who knows?).

I think the medical staff can get very burnt out, but they keep working away as they've invested so much of their lives in the field (and they might not be very much use elsewhere TBH). It is a pity when they lose touch with themselves and our shared humanity. Very unhealthy for everyone.

Zazen that is bloody dreadful.

Who the fuck do these idiots think they are??????

I`m so sorry to hear thatZazen

I watched this last night. I also thought that about the nurse OnEdge. Otherwise I thought the documentary was done beautifully and was struck by the humanity of the head doctor, Dr Manners (?). I know it's a cliche but your life can change in a moment can't it? I think of those 3 little boys who've pretty much lost their mother. Heartbreaking.

Yes it was good appart from that bit. Makes you think.

I think it is a shame tha tyou have chosen to pick on that one part in what was an excellent documentary, with fantastic staff.
The way the doctors spoke to the families was fab.
Heart-wrenching stuff though.
Gave my babies an extra cuddle when I checked on them last night.

That is very wrong of the nurse. You should always talk to your patient when you are caring for them, even when they are dead. Anything else is disrespectful.

I thought this too, they'd just established that he could understand them and respond correctly to questions with eye movements, then she was talking over him as though he had no idea what was happening. I can only hope that it was just bad editing and that this part was actually filmed before the investigations.

Heartbraking programme though. They said at the beginning that 40% of patients at the unit go on to make a 'meaningful' recovery so I think I was expecting the outcomes to be better. I really thought the young girl, Sam, would pull through. Her boyfriend breaking down when she wouldn't wake up, and when talking about the mascara still on his pillow just destroyed me. And the handprints. Devestating.

Dr David Menon was fantastic, I have had some contact with him through my job (medical publishing) and he truly is a superstar in his field, but his humanity and bedside manner in the programme bowled me over. I knew one of the doctors in the Great Ormond St programme recently too and was less impressed!

God, am just watching this on the sky plus. Am in awe of the doctors and the bravery of the families who are prepared to talk about this to enable us to understand this field better.

So sad.