This is a reflective essay based on my experiences during my six week medical internship in a hematology department at a local hospital. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the psychological and sociological impact on the family when a loved one dies, and then focus on how the nurse supported her husband and relatives during their loss. I chose this particular episode because I felt strongly about the care given to this patient shortly before her death and felt the need to reflect on this topic further. To help me with my reflection I chose Gibbs (1988) as the model to guide my reflective process. This model includes a process that helps the individual look at a situation and think about their thoughts and feelings at the time of the incident. Reflective skills help us to think about what could have been done, so that if a similar situation arises again, the experience gained can be used to deal with the situation in a professional way (Palmer et al 1997). To allow me to use this situation for my own reflection we will refer to the patient as “Ann.” This is so that your real name is protected and kept confidential in line with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct (2002). Description Ann was a 58-year-old married woman with a very loving husband who had previously been diagnosed with multiple myeloma with secondary renal failure and had received rounds of chemotherapy. My mentor and I were caring for Ann on the day in question, her observations were within normal limits but she continued to complain of shortness of breath. She became very anxious and I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was scared and asked me to "call someone quick" because she couldn't breathe... middle of paper... er. A, Burns, S. Bulman, C. (1997) Reflective practice in nursing. The growth of the professional. Blackwell Science: Oxford.Parkes. C, M, (1988) Bereavement as a psychosocial transition: process and adaptation to change. Journal of Social Issues 44(3):53-65.Read. S, (2002) Loss and bereavement: a nursing response. Nursing Standard.16,37, 47-53.Scrutton. S, (1995) Bereavement and grief – Supporting older people through loss. Edward Arnold: LondonSutcliffe.P, Tufnell.G, Cornish. U, (1998) Working with the dying and the bereaved, systemic approaches to therapeutic work. Macmillan Press Ltd: London.Worden. W, (1991), 2nd ed. Grief counseling and pain therapy: A manual for the mental health professional. Tavistock/Routledge: London.Wright, B. (1991) Sudden death: intervention skills for the caring professions. Churchill Livingstone: London.