Isabelle Granito, a nurse from Quebec’s Laurentians region, experienced a traumatizing event after her husband, Jacques Richard, suddenly passed away at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal last year. Arriving at the hospital an hour after her husband’s death, Granito found him lying on a stretcher in the resuscitation room, his body covered in biological fluids and an intubation tube still in place. Shocked by the lack of care, Granito requested assistance from a supervisor, but was told there was no one available. She was then advised to clean her husband’s body herself, which she reluctantly did. This deeply distressing experience has left Granito suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and she now fears her nursing career may be over.
Determined to prevent similar incidents from occurring, Granito plans to file official complaints with the MUHC and the Quebec Order of Nurses. She is advocating for families to be treated with dignity and respect during the difficult time of losing a loved one. Granito’s story highlights the importance of ensuring that hospitals are adequately staffed and that families are provided with compassionate support in the aftermath of a death.
