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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum
Published on: August 5, 2020
A cross-cultural analysis of dignified dying
Ardith Z Doorenbos1, Sarah A Wilson, Amy Coenen
1School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. doorenbo@u.washington.edu
Purpose:
To describe the characteristics of dignified dying and other terminology nurses used to describe this phenomenon in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and the United States (US).
Design:
A cross-sectional descriptive survey with a convenience sample of nurses who cared for dying patients in Ethiopia (n=14), India (n=229), Kenya (n=36), and the US (n=281). Data were collected between 2002 and 2004.
Methods:
Nurses were recruited to complete the ICNP Dignified Dying survey, which consists of demographic information, 2 open-ended questions, and 14 questions about characteristics of dignified dying.
Findings:
The 14 characteristics on the dignified dying scale reliably measured dignified dying, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .91. All characteristics were rated as representative of dignified dying, with content validity scores ranging from .62 to .77. Factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution, which accounted for 53% of the variance.
Conclusions:
Findings of this study contribute to the ongoing development of the International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP) regarding the nursing phenomenon of dignified dying. The ICNP a unified nursing language system, is used to promote and facilitate scholarly exchange among nurses across countries.
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