Nursing Students' Clinical Experience with Death: A Pilot Study [Research Brief]

Caring for Dying Patient and Their Families

“…They suggested that this might take the form of individual and group debriefing sessions, protracted over time, and respectful of their pace of development. 6,7 This is in line with calls by scholars for students to be supported and protected and their lived experience received and contained, by giving them the opportunity to explore their difficulties in a supportive atmosphere, 1,19 in which emotions may be displayed, named, received, and shared. 18,28 The interviewees were also appreciative when the nurse preceptor displayed his or her own feelings and encouraged the students to identify their own problems and look for solutions, thereby promoting resilience.…”

“…This outcome too is in line with the existing literature. 6,7,19 Another coping strategy that emerged in this study consists of depersonalization and avoidance mechanisms. The students who articulated this strategy were still in search of the right balance between involvement and detachment.…”

“…5 Student nurses often feel unprepared for dealing with death and dying. 6 They view caring for dying patients and their families as one of the most worrying and potentially unpleasant areas of nursing care, 7,8 and this in turn leads them to have feelings of suffering, anxiety, [9][10][11] inadequacy, and impotence. 6,12 Students themselves also believe that training can positively influence nurses' approach to caring for the dying, in terms of reducing negative behaviors and depersonalization.…”

“…6 They view caring for dying patients and their families as one of the most worrying and potentially unpleasant areas of nursing care, 7,8 and this in turn leads them to have feelings of suffering, anxiety, [9][10][11] inadequacy, and impotence. 6,12 Students themselves also believe that training can positively influence nurses' approach to caring for the dying, in terms of reducing negative behaviors and depersonalization. 13 Attending elective courses on the topic and having positive experiences of dealing with death in clinical practice, in a supportive environment in which lecturers and nurse preceptors encourage students to reflect on their own beliefs and perspectives, have been found beneficial.…”

A situation between the end and start: Death perception

“…Günümüzde ölümün genellikle hastanelerde olması, sağlıkla ilgili mesleklerde çalışanlara ve özellikle de hasta ile daha yakın ilişkide bulunan hemşirelere büyük sorumluluklar yüklemektedir (Öz, 2004). Hemşirelik öğrencileri de eğitimleri süresince ölmekte olan hastalarla karşılaşmakta ve bu hastalara bakım verme sürecini öğrenmektedir (Heise & Gilpin, 2016;Özdelikara, Ağaçdiken Alkan, Mumcu Boğa, & Şahin, 2016). Ölmekte olan hastalara bakım verme sürecinde, bu hastaları yaşamlarının son döneminde rahat ettirmek, bakım ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak, onurlu bir şekilde ölmelerine yardımcı olmak ve ölüm sürecine şahit olmak hemşirelik öğrencilerinde kaygı, korku gibi psikososyal sorunlara neden olabilmektedir (Koç & Sağlam, 2008;Şahin ve ark., 2016).…”