Meina Dubetz has written a powerful book filled with her own personal experiences and the knowledge she has gained during her nursing career. When Death Comes Knocking for Your Patients is an excellent resource and a valuable tool for the new healthcare professional in Palliative care. It’s also a reminder about why many of us entered this corridor of nursing many years ago.
– Diane Jahraus RN, BScN, CON(C)
Charge Nurse, Radiation Oncology Nursing
When Death Comes Knocking for Your Patients is extremely powerful and moving. The author’s heartfelt wisdom gently provides guidance and support to readers, nurses, and family members as they move along their journey with death and grief. This book allowed me to explore my own various emotions related to life and death. I had goose bumps throughout and couldn’t put it down.
– Katelyn Callander RN, BN
Graduating Class 2017, University of Calgary
Real, relatable, and relevant. Meina Dubetz shares deeply moving, often agonizing stories from her career as an oncology and palliative care nurse, as well as her experiences as a daughter, mother, family member, and friend. When Death Comes Knocking for Your Patients will captivate readers while educating them on death and dying. Dubetz tackles tough topics, such as crossing professional boundaries, medical assistance in dying, and caring for a dying colleague. She also offers practical, tangible solutions and suggestions for the inevitable and innumerable challenges that arise when caring for patients and their loved ones as death approaches. Included are profound lessons for novice and experienced nurses alike, but those lessons are not limited to health care providers. The ubiquity of death makes this a must read for anyone.
– Reanne Booker, MN BScN NP
Palliative and End-of-Life Services, Alberta Health Services
I enjoyed reading When Death Comes Knocking for Your Patients. The book offers great value for caregivers and for patients and their families.
– Dr. Srini Chary, MBBS, MRCS; LRCP, CCFP (PC), DA, FRCSEd.
Consulting Physician, Regional Palliative & Hospice Care, Calgary Zone
Palliative Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor,
Department of Oncology & Family Medicine,
Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary
This two-part book about dying and death is based on Meina Dubetz’s profound personal experiences as a nurse for over 30 years. Cleverly separated into two sections—the first section on care for others and the second section on care for oneself—the book provides many important and useful tips about how to cope with dying and death in a more dignified, graceful, and human way. Well worth the read!
– Stephen Garrett, MA
Death Educator and Author of
When Death Speaks, Listen, Learn, and Love
