First Loss: Navigating Death as a New Grad Nurse

Losing a patient for the first time is something nursing school can’t truly prepare you for. In this heartfelt episode, Rachel shares honest reflections and personal stories about navigating grief as a new graduate nurse. From emotional overwhelm to the physical toll of unprocessed loss, she explores what it really means to care — and to mourn — in a profession that often expects you to “stay strong.”You'll learn about disenfranchised grief, why it matters, and how to recognize its signs in yourself. Rachel also shares practical tools for coping, honoring patient deaths in meaningful ways, and reclaiming your own story at the end of each shift.Whether you’ve just experienced your first loss or are supporting someone who has, this episode offers connection, validation, and gentle reminders: You are not alone. You are allowed to grieve. And feeling deeply doesn’t make you weak — it makes you human.🔗 Show Notes: Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP)Start and End of Shift Wellness CheckWhat is Grief? Types, Symptoms & How to Cope (clevelandclinic.org)How Nurses can Cope with a Patient's Death - NurseJournal.orgÖcalan, S., Kovanci, M. S., Uslu-Sahan, F., & Ozdemir, L. (2023). First death experiences of newly graduated nurses: A qualitative phenomenological study. Death Studies, 48(4), 303–311. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2023.2219648