Nursing students' witnessed experience of patient death during clinical practice: A qualitative study using focus groups

Witnessing the death and dying of patients is a strong, often overwhelming experience during clinical practice. It is necessary to explore how nursing students experience care for dying patients and to understand their perceptions of death and dying. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students who witness dying patients and terminal care in their clinical practice. A qualitative study using focus group discussion methodology. A university in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 16 nursing students with more than 1 year of clinical practice experience participated. Their median age was 21.9 years (range 21–24), and all were women. A qualitative study using three focus groups (10 juniors in two focus groups and 6 seniors in one focus group) was conducted from December 2018 to January 2019. Data were analyzed using the Colaizzi analysis method. The analysis resulted in 26 themes, 9 theme clusters, and 3 categories. Three categories emerged: 1) Experience the distance death up close; 2) Dilemma at the end of life; and 3) Strategy on a better end to life. For nursing students, it is necessary to develop and apply internal and external reinforcement programs on providing person-centered care so that they can accept the death of others with equanimity. Nursing students, who are future nurses, should receive education covering various aspects of clinical scenarios involving dying patients and their family members. •Nursing students witness their first patient death during clinical practice.•Nursing students experienced the nearness of death, which was far from themselves, through the death of a patient in clinical practice.•Nursing students have come to recognize the need for person-centered care to ensure the dignified death of patients in clinical practice.•Nursing students desire systematic education about the end of life even before they become nurses.