NURSE’S

ATTITUDE
TOWARDS DEATH

Villarante, Kevin
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

“Do you remember your family talking about death and

how it was discussed or avoided when you were a child.
Can your family discuss this topic today?”
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

“Consider your first encounters with death. What do you

remember?”
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What do you currently believe about what happens after

death?
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What feelings do you have about your own death? What

would beyour greatest fears?
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What feelings do you have about the death of those you

love? What would be your greatest fears?
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What would be your own last wishes? What business

would you want to complete? With whom would you want
to reconcile? What rituals would you choose at the end of
your life?
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What are your greatest fears in talking to a dying person?

 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

Would your family and friends be able to talk to you about

your dying? Would you be able to talk to them about their
dying?
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What feelings do you have about encountering end-of-life

symptoms?
 FEELINGS ABOUT DEATH

What feelings do you have about dead bodies and doing

post mortem care?
FACING DEATH
 Philippines like other countries has a death-
denying culture.

 Most of us have had few encounters with

death before becoming student
nurses/nurses.
FACING DEATH
In the hospital, home, and nursing home, we
focus on keeping physiological systems
functioning and technological interventions
running smoothly. We sometimes overlook
the fact that caring for people who are dying
requires paying attention to their human
experiences.
FACING DEATH

“We must stop, listen, and look into the faces of

those close to death.”
FACING DEATH

Reflecting on death is a great

challenge in our culture because social
prohibitions keep us from talking
about and thinking about death.
FACING DEATH

Not only is discussion of death

considered to be inappropriate in our
society, but the mention of death also
brings up strong feelings of fear,
anger, and sadness. We are afraid of
the unknown, angry that death
unfairly intrudes upon life, and sad
about our own losses.
FACING DEATH

“Feelings that we don’t acknowledge remain

hidden in the shadow.”
FACING DEATH

Acknowledging repressed feelings

allows us to understand ourselves
better. It allows us to let our defenses
down so that we can come to know
people who are dying instead of
maintaining boundaries against them
because of our own fear.
NURSE’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS DEATH
Our attitude towards death have an impact on the care
we can provide. For example, if all talk of death has
been avoided in our family, we need to learn to talk
about it deliberately. If we do not believe in an afterlife,
we may be deeply troubled to work with patients who
we believe face a final termination. If we have
experienced bereavement ourselves, we may have
unresolved feelings that lead us to a desire to avoid
future encounters with death. If we associate death
with dark forces and evil spirits, we may be terrified to
be in the presence of death.
 “And when I meet death,
THANK YOU!
I hope its gentle,
I hope its like going home.”
Zerwekh, J. V. (2006). Nursing Care at the End of Life,
Palliative Care for Patients and Family. F. A. Davis