WHAT NURSING STUDENTS WISH THEY HAD KNOWN PRIOR TO A PATIENT DEATH

Death is an emotionally charged and stressful event for anyone. Registered Nurses (RNs) provide the primary care through the dying process as well as post-mortem care for dying patients and their families. For student nurses, who are still learning the RN role, the death of a patient can be an overwhelming experience. Yet little evidence exists regarding nursing student perceptions of the death of a patient. Thus, a national study to examine the perceptions of nursing students who experienced the death of a patient was undertaken. The purpose of this study was to ascertain from nursing students what they wished they had been taught about dying and the death of a patient.

After IRB and National Student Nurse Association (NSNA) Board approval, members of the NSNA were sent emails and invited to respond to a Qualtrics survey (N=55,000).  2804 NSNA members started the survey with 2480 nursing students completing the survey.  Qualitative responses to the question, “As a nursing student, what would you want your nursing faculty to teach/prepare you about dying and the death of a patient?” included 785 responses. Qualtrics survey data was analyzed using NVIVO (10) using an iterative content analysis process until saturation was obtained. Students identified the following themes: 1) how to communicate with the dying patient and their family; 2) supportive care measures; 3) coping strategies for health care workers; 4) post-mortem care; 5) physical signs of imminent death; and 6) overall more end-of-life care instruction. Students requested more simulation experiences on death and dying to better prepare them for an actual death of a patient.

With these findings, nursing instructors are better equipped with the knowledge necessary to meet the needs of their students regarding end-of-life instruction. As students enter the clinical setting better prepared to handle death and dying, they will have an increased capacity to provide competent and compassionate care to their patients during their schooling and throughout their careers as professional nurses.