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Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

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Using Anatomy to Prepare Healthcare Students for Patient Death: A Systematic Review.

Lucy C Cowperthwaite¹, Kat A Sanders^2,3, Steph Busby⁴

¹School of Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK.

Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.)

|July 9, 2026

Summary

Anatomy education using human body donors helps healthcare students prepare for patient death by fostering professional identity, emotional regulation, and reflective practices. This approach enhances empathy and ethical understanding, crucial for compassionate clinical practice.

Keywords:

anatomy education death education healthcare students hidden curriculum human body donors practice preparedness

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Area of Science:

Medical Education
Anatomy
Thanatology

Background:

Healthcare students face emotional and ethical challenges related to death in clinical settings.
Formal curricula often lack adequate preparation for these encounters.
Anatomy education with human body donors presents an opportunity for early exposure to death.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review the literature on whether anatomy education using human body donors prepares healthcare students for experiencing death in clinical environments.
To identify themes related to professional identity, emotional responses, and reflections on death.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of 13 studies from 9 countries, including medical, nursing, and allied health students.
Searched 11 academic databases; data extracted and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Studies were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and reported according to PRISMA guidelines.

Main Results:

Anatomy education with human body donors contributes to holistic professional identity formation.
Students demonstrate emotional evolution and develop adaptive strategies for coping with death.
Reflective practices and engagement with mortality deepen empathy and ethical perspectives.

Conclusions:

Anatomy education with human body donors supports preparedness for patient death through professional identity development, emotional regulation, and reflection.
Educators can leverage anatomy learning to enhance students' emotional and professional readiness for death.
Integrating reflective practices is vital for cultivating compassionate and competent clinicians.