[Death Literacy: A Concept Analysis]

"Death literacy" refers to the acquisition, understanding, and application of knowledge related to death and end-of-life care during the final stages of life. Although there is extensive research on health literacy, studies on death literacy remain relatively scarce. In this article, the conceptual analysis approach described by Walker and Avant is applied to define the characteristics of death literacy, which include: (1) the ability to possess and comprehend fundamental knowledge related to death and end-of-life care; (2) communication skills to discuss end-of-life care options with family members and others; (3) the accumulation of wisdom regarding life and death through hands-on experience in end-of-life care and experiential learning in life education; and (4) the dissemination of wisdom on life and death through sharing personal experiences with others. Using typical, borderline, contrary, and related cases, this analysis clarifies the concept, identifies the antecedents and consequences of death literacy, lists current empirical measurement tools, and explores applications in nursing practice, research, and theory. The overall goal of this article is to enhance the understanding of nursing personnel regarding this concept, provide a clinical reference for caregivers, increase public awareness of life and death issues, and, ultimately, ensure and improve the quality of end-of-life care provided to patients.