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

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• End-of-Life Care Studies
• Sociology of Death

Background:

• Death Cafés offer public spaces for discussing death and end-of-life issues.
• These events aim to create safe, confidential environments for sensitive conversations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing students' experiences in a modified Death Café.
• To assess the impact of Death Cafés on learning about death and dying.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interpretive approach.
• Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with third-year student nurses.
• Thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Students perceived modified Death Cafés positively, finding them stimulating and informative.
• Key themes included anticipation, curriculum timing, facilitation, group trust, and practice reflection.
• Students preferred discussing death openly in Death Cafés over academic settings due to fear of judgment.

Conclusions:

• Effective facilitation is crucial for encouraging student self-disclosure and scrutiny.
• Modified Death Cafés successfully enabled open sharing of feelings about death and dying.
• These sessions are vital for nursing students to explore vulnerability and reciprocal sharing regarding end-of-life topics.