Remembering Patients who Die: Exploring the Meaning Conveyed in Notes to the Researcher

Abstract

Nurses are confronted with the reality of death and dying as part of their profession and, often times, their daily work. The qualitative data in this article were compiled from unsolicited comments provided by respondents to a survey of Registered Nurses. Forty-eight nurses wrote notes to the researcher/author which, after analysis, were organized into two major themes. The first theme encompassed how patient deaths are remembered. The length of time since the death, details provided, and definitions of “good death” were identified as sub-themes. The second theme surrounded the effect that patient death experiences have on nurses. Implications of these data include the need to acknowledge patient death and the immense emotional toll it takes on nurses, as well as understanding that nurses are disenfranchised grievers.