Nurse encounters with dying and nondying patients

In measuring duration of nurse encounters with dying and nondying patients, 22 staff nurses were observed for a two-hour period; the duration of all encounters was measured with a stop-watch. The prognosis of each patient was classified by the investigators and the observed nurses. Statistical analysis revealed that when the prognosis was classified according to the investigator's definition, nurses spent significantly more time with dying than with nondying patients. The nurse's verbal acknowledgment of the patient's dying status had no effect on the duration of the encounter. The proportion of time the nurse spent in meeting emotional needs was not affected by terminal prognosis as classified by the investigators or the nurses.