The majority of nurses first experience death in or before their first year of practice, and the experience can provoke feelings of helplessness, guilt and ongoing distress
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Correspondence to: John Costello
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, University Place Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; John.Costello{at}manchester.ac.uk
Commentary on: Kent B, Anderson NE, Owens RG. Nurses’ early experiences with patient death: the results of an on-line survey of Registered Nurses in New Zealand. Int J Nurs Stud 2012;49:1255–65.
Implications for practice and research
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The study draws attention to the issue of patient death and its impact on staff well-being, moral and mental health, calling for these areas to be taken more seriously.
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The findings highlight a need for undergraduate death education to focus on end-of-life care.
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The study has implications for considering the positive impact death experiences can have on nurses.
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There is a need to review resources for managing patient death and to evaluate the impact a patient's death can have on nurses providing end-of-life care, particularly for student nurses and newly qualified staff.
Context
This study focuses on the death of patients in acute care contexts, an area identified as a source …
