Using Death Cafés as a method for discussing death and dying with third year student nurses

Death Cafés are increasingly being held to facilitate discussions around death and dying and end-of-life issues with the public. They are thought to provide a safe, confidential and interactive space in which sensitive and supportive conversations about death and dying and end-of-life are shared.

To explore nursing students' experiences of participating in a modified Death Café and its impact on their learning about death and dying.

A qualitative interpretive approach was employed using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of third year student nurse volunteers. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes.

Students viewed the modified Death Cafés positively, reporting that they were stimulating, informative and worthwhile for discussing sensitive topics related to death and dying. Five themes were developed from interview data: anticipation of the Death Cafés; timing of the Death Cafés within the curriculum; facilitation; trust within the group and getting involved; and reflection on, and for, practice.

Students voiced a preference to disclose their feelings about death to an expert facilitator in the more informal environment of a Death Café because they thought they might be judged by their nursing lecturers. Effective facilitation of a Death Café session is critical to encourage self-scrutiny and disclosure by students, and the modified Death Café sessions achieved this.

It is expected that students may feel vulnerable while participating in a Death Café, but it is important that the sessions enable students to be open about their feelings about death and the reciprocal sharing of inner thoughts and feelings about death and dying.