A bit of comfort in a basket
Grief baskets can bring healing in a time of loss.
It is always the hope that patients and their family leave an emergency department feeling better.
Sadly, that’s not always the case. A family sometimes feel the sudden sting of loss when a loved one doesn’t get better.
Rebecca Burch, a technician, and Kathryn Skinner, a registered nurse, wanted to find a way to help those dealing with the pain of losing a loved one. Both work in the ED at PeaceHealth United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley, Washington.
Giving and sharing
Rebecca and Kathryn wanted to provide something staff could share with a family who lost a loved one to bring them comfort.
Using their own funds, the two put together a grief basket. The basket includes a teddy bear, the book It’s Okay That You’re Not Okay, a journal and a pen along with resource pamphlets to help families with their grief.
“They are always giving of themselves and sharing,” said ED Nurse Manager Mark McGahan.
