In 2009, UVa nurse Jonathon Bartels first led The Pause in the emergency department. Following an attempted resuscitation when a patient did not survive, Jonathan asked the team to pause to honor the life of the individual. Thus began a grassroots movement that has disrupted contemporary healthcare practices and created opportunities for humanism and reflection. By 2014, The Pause had spread throughout the UVa Medical Center. Five years later, this study now documents the remarkable spread of The Pause to four continents and multiple different settings. Not only has this allowed caregivers to express empathy and to reflect, it has also been associated with positive culture change within units.
As Margaret Mead once stated “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
Ducar DM, Cunningham T. Honoring life after death: mapping the spread of The Pause. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. 2019;36:429-45.
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