Oncology nursing education: nursing students' commitment of "presence" with the dying patient and the family

During an elective oncology nursing course, students expressed uncertainties about activities that would offer patient and family support during end-of-life care. Following a chaplain's lecture, students in a class reaction paper identified appropriate nurse responses and actions that would offer supportive care to the dying patient and the family. Six processes were extracted from student comments. A core category was identified as the importance of "nurse presence" at the bedside of the dying patient.