Where do nurses go for help? A qualitative study of coping with death and dying

Abstract

As end-of-life care becomes a more prominent issue in health care, it is important to address the experience from the caregivers' perspective. In order to cope with the stressful experience of caring for a dying patient, nurses need programmes that both help them develop coping strategies and prepare them for caring for dying patients as well as resources to help them cope with the experience once it has happened. Because little is known about the coping habits of nurses facing the death of a patient, research is needed that examines their coping responses to develop more effective resources. This research examines the resources that nurses use when coping with the death of a patient. The results of this research indicate that communication with patients and their families, as well as coworkers, is an integral part of that process.