She couldn't stay with a dying patient - so she's making sure that no one dies alone again

Sandra Clarke, a registered nurse who created the "No One Dies Alone" program gave a brief interview describing a difficult memory. When working a night shift, a do not resuscitate patient was not doing well and likely to die on her shift. Night shifts have more patients, so when this man requested she stay with him, she could not.

She promised to return after her immediate rounds where she gave other patients medicines, took them to the restroom, or whatever was needed. By the time she returned, the man had passed away.

The R.N. said, "It's a man whose name I have no idea, but it's a man I'll never forget." Watch the interview here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

In the video Clarke emotionally describes the feelings of anger and frustration. The man had asked for a simple request, to not be alone. She feels it should have been easily granted and that she couldn't do it. From that moment she was inspired to make a change. She started a program so there could be someone with a patient at the end of life.

No One Dies Alone (NODA)

In 2001, she started the "No One Dies Alone" program by enlisting local volunteers to sit with terminally ill patients at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon. The company grabs up volunteers from all the different departments of the hospital: kitchen workers, carpenters, medical transcriptionists, and even the maintenance employees. These volunteers offer their time to sit with patients without companionship, dying on their own.

Holding space, listening, taking a hand, stroking an arm, reading to them, and even singing are some to the tools used by these amazing people. Many volunteers shared the experience can be difficult, but believing they can be of help and comfort is gratifying. One volunteer named Vicki said, "To know that I can help bring a moment of peace like that is everything."

Holding hand of patientImage via Canva - Photo by Pitchaya Pingpithayakul

Going Global

Today there are over 400 plus hospitals around the world that have implemented NODA. Programs exist in New York, Alaska, and even places like Singapore and Japan. She's put together a manual that's distributed worldwide with little to no funding but for a small grant that helps cover her printing costs.

Antelope Valley Medical Center in California implements the program and describes the role of their volunteers. "The role of a Compassionate Companion is to be themselves, and to understand the importance of empathy, especially to our most vulnerable populations."

This lady is a saint.

A recent thread on reddit brought some interest into the program and Ms. Clarke. After learning about NODA and it's powerful beginning, redditors responded:

"Sandra Clarke didn’t just carry that loss, she transformed it into compassion for the world"

"I was a Hospice respite volunteer and they asked if I would consider signing up for this program. When I did, they told me that I might never be called because they had so many volunteers who were ahead of me on the call list. I hope she would be proud to know that her program is still going strong and how many are out there who want to help."

"My mom does this, she had her first call a few weeks ago. She said the man passed as she read a Robert Frost poem out loud and it was a privilege to get to be there for him and she hopes no one has to die alone"

Holding the hand of a patient.Image via Canva - Photo by Portra