Navigating the End of Life and Taking Next Steps with Dr. Ethan Sanford
Feb 12, 2024
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Dr. Ethan Sanford, Assistant Professor of Anesthesia and Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, discusses navigating the end of life and shares his personal experience of losing his own child. He talks about grief, finding meaning, returning to work, and explores activities for grief and personal growth.
Acknowledging and validating the profound grief of parents and caregivers is essential for healthcare providers to provide support during the grieving process.
Finding meaning and purpose in life, and prioritizing activities that bring fulfillment, can help clinicians navigate personal grief and provide more empathetic care to families.
Deep dives
Dr. Ethan Sanford's Personal Experience with Loss
Dr. Ethan Sanford, a pediatric ICU physician and anesthesiologist, shares his personal story of losing his daughter, Sessie. He discusses the profound impact it had on his life and how it changed his approach to patient care. Dr. Sanford delves into the emotions he experienced during his journey of grief, including feelings of shame and helplessness. He reflects on the significance of finding meaning in life and the importance of acknowledging and addressing grief for both clinicians and families. He also emphasizes the value of sharing experiences with others who have gone through similar loss and seeks to redefine the concept of work-life balance in the medical field.
Navigating Grief and Acknowledging the Terrible
Dr. Sanford highlights the importance of acknowledging the profound grief families face when dealing with the loss of a child. He emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to address and validate the immense pain experienced by parents and caregivers, rather than avoid discussing it. Dr. Sanford recounts his own experiences with grief and the lessons he learned in navigating it. He shares the importance of finding meaning and purpose in life, especially by focusing on cherished relationships and experiences. He encourages clinicians to be compassionate listeners and provide support to families during their grieving process.
Balancing Professional and Personal Life
Dr. Sanford discusses the challenges of balancing personal grief with clinical responsibilities. He shares his own journey of returning to work after the loss of his daughter and the various emotions he encountered during that process. Dr. Sanford emphasizes the significance of finding meaningful activities and pursuing them, both at work and in personal life. He advocates for prioritizing actions that bring fulfillment and purpose, rather than solely focusing on career advancement. He also reveals how his personal grief has positively impacted his approach to patient care, enabling him to provide more empathetic and compassionate support to families going through similar hardships.
Resources for Coping with Grief and Loss
Dr. Sanford suggests several resources for individuals and families dealing with grief and loss. He highlights the role of child life professionals in guiding families through difficult conversations and memory-making activities. He also recommends seeking support from grief counseling groups, which allow individuals to connect with others experiencing similar situations. Additionally, Dr. Sanford mentions the benefits of meditation and exercise in managing grief. He encourages individuals to explore these activities as coping mechanisms. Overall, he emphasizes the importance of seeking support, finding meaningful outlets, and prioritizing self-care during the grief process.
Ethan Sanford, MD is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia and Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. He completed his MD at Harvard University followed by Anesthesiology residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He then completed a pediatric critical care fellowship at UTSW. He is board certified in both pediatric anesthesia and pediatric critical care medicine. He works both as a pediatric anesthesiologist and intensivist at UTSW/CMC Dallas.
Learning Objective: By the end of this podcast, listeners should have an improved understanding of the grief experienced by parents at the end of their child's life and be better equipped to care for them in the pediatric intensive care unit.
Reference: Sanford EL. Losing Ceci. JAMA. 2023 May 2;329(17):1451-1452. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.4747. PMID: 37022705.
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Thank you for listening to this episode of PedsCrit. Please remember that all content during this episode is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used as medical advice. The views expressed during this episode by hosts and our guests are their own and do not reflect the official position of their institutions. If you have any comments, suggestions, or feedback-you can email us at pedscritpodcast@gmail.com. Check out http://www.pedscrit.comfor detailed show notes. And visit @critpeds on twitter and @pedscrit on instagram for real time show updates.
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