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How new graduate nurses experience patient death: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

International Journal of Nursing StudiesPublished 18 October 2015
Ruishuang Zheng, Susan Lee, Melissa J. Bloomer
Citations121
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score2.82
SNIP3.21

TL;DR

To summarize new graduate nurses' experience with patient death by examining the findings of existing qualitative studies, six key themes were identified: emotional experiences, facilitating a good death, support for family, inadequacy on end-of-life care issues, personal and professional growth and coping strategies.

Abstract

Five primary qualitative studies and one mix-method study met inclusion and quality criteria. Six key themes were identified from the original findings: emotional experiences, facilitating a good death, support for family, inadequacy on end-of-life care issues, personal and professional growth and coping strategies. New graduate nurses expressed a variety of feelings when faced with patient death, but still they tried to facilitate a good death for dying patients and provide support for their families. The nurses benefited from this challenging encounter though they lacked of coping strategies.

Keywords

PsychologyMedicine