Exploring patient death experiences among Iranian nursing students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Patient death is a significant stressor for nursing students.
• Limited research exists on nursing students' experiences with patient death.
• Understanding these experiences is crucial for student support and professional development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of Iranian undergraduate nursing students when facing patient death.
• To identify the psychological and emotional effects of patient death on nursing students.
• To inform curriculum development for better student preparation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing purposive sampling of 14 undergraduate nursing students.
• Data collection through semi-structured interviews.
• Conventional content analysis guided by Lincoln and Guba's criteria.

Main Results:

• Three primary categories emerged: significance of death, reactions to death, and transformation of professional perspectives.
• Subcategories included positive/negative meanings of death, emotional/behavioral responses, and impacts on participants.
• Findings indicate significant psychological and emotional effects on nursing students.

Conclusions:

• Experiencing patient death has a substantial psychological and emotional impact on nursing students.
• Nursing curricula should integrate training on death response and communication with bereaved families.
• Further research is needed to develop strategies for mitigating negative impacts and optimizing positive outcomes.