Content analysis of the effects of palliative care learning on the perception by nursing students of dying and dignified death

Abstract Background Providing care for dying people and the death of patients are stressing situations faced by nursing students during their clinical practice. Learning about palliative care improves the management of emotions and the ability to cope when caring for patients in end-of-life processes. However, there is little knowledge on the effect of this learning on the students' perceptions of their own death. Objectives To determine the effect of a palliative care course on the thoughts of nursing students about their own death. Design A qualitative, descriptive, and comparative study was conducted based on content analysis, administering an open-ended questionnaire on dying and death at the start and end of a palliative care course. Participants The study included 85 volunteers studying Palliative Care in the second year of their Nursing Degree at the University of Granada (Spain). Results Students described their perceptions in more detail after the course, with more numerous code citations, and their post-course responses evidenced a reduction in anxiety about their own death and an increased recognition of the need to respect the decisions of patients for a dignified death. Conclusions Palliative care learning modifies the perception by nursing students of their own death and their understanding of a dignified death, which may enhance the care they deliver to patients at the end of life.