Threads of Life: Stories and Lessons Learned Caring for the Dying and the Dead

This paper reflects on the stories and lessons learned from a certified nursing assistant on an ICU step-down unit caring for patients who are dying or dead. Through personal anecdotes, I reflect on the profound lessons learned from these patients. Included in this paper is the story and reason for creating a crocheted tapestry of the Tree of Life to commemorate the patients who passed. The tapestry serves as an emotional outlet to process the feelings and emotional challenges that come with frequently encountering the fragility of life.