title: Thai Buddhist families' perspective of a peaceful death in ICUs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the concept of a peaceful death in intensive care units (ICUs) from the perspective of Thai Buddhist family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive qualitative study was based on data generated from individual in-depth interviews of nine Thai Buddhist family members from the southern region of Thailand whose loved ones died in adult ICUs. Colaizzi's phenomenological approach was used to analyse the data. Rigour for the study was established by Lincoln and Guga's guidelines for qualitative research studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five core qualities emerged that made-up the concept of a peaceful death as described by Thai Buddhist family members who cared for their loved ones while they were dying in ICUs. These core qualities were 'knowing death was impending, preparing for a peaceful state of mind, not suffering, being with family members and not alone, and family members were not mourning'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thai Buddhist family members described what they meant by a peaceful death. 'This was: preparing for a peaceful state of mind in knowing that one's impending death is not a situation of suffering or being alone, but rather a time of being with family members who are not yet mourning one's death.' The findings support that family members should participate in promoting a peaceful death for their loved ones dying in ICUs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The five core qualities of a peaceful death reported in this study could be used as a framework for nurses to create nursing practice interventions for quality end-of-life care for Thai Buddhists.
authors.affiliation: Medical Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. waraporn.k@psu.ac.th
authors.forename: Waraporn
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kongsuwan
authors.forename: Orapan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chaipetch
authors.forename: Yaowarat
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matchim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death / Q000208:ethnology; D002016:Buddhism / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality; D003643:Death; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013785:Thailand; D056345:Theory of Mind