A Holistic View of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Death and Dying Experiences
Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Kowalchik, Kalei
Graduate Program:
Nursing
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
June 04, 2024
Committee Members:
Susan Loeb, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies Judith Hupcey, Chair & Dissertation Advisor Barbara Birriel, Major Field Member Ravinder Koul, Outside Unit & Field Member Sharilee Hrabovsky, Major Field Member
Keywords:
end-of-life care undergraduate nursing students experiences attitudes knowledge emotions well-being wellness death dying clinical experience education experience resources psychological resources nursing personal experience hospice care palliative care
Abstract:
Nurses spend a significant amount of time caring for patients and their families at the end-of-life in a variety of nursing specialties. However, exposure to end-of-life care education is inconsistent across undergraduate nursing programs, leaving many nursing students and newly graduated nurses uneducated and inadequately trained to care for patients and families during the death and dying process as they enter the nursing profession. Navigating end-of-life care as a novice nursing student can be emotionally challenging and complex which can create barriers to care which can influence the patient or family’s physical, psychosocial, or spiritual needs throughout their career trajectory. In order to explore this topic, a three-paper dissertation was completed detailing 1) a quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study 2) a qualitative descriptive study which explored undergraduate nursing students’ death and dying experiences and 3) a literature review exploring psychological and wellness resources available to students after providing end-of-life care.
