Swedish nursing students' reasoning about emotionally demanding issues in caring for dying patients.
OBJECTIVE
To describe nursing students' reasoning about emotionally demanding questions concerning the care of dying patients.


METHODS
The Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) Scale was completed by students at the beginning of their education, and there was great variation in the responses to five items. At a follow-up measurement in the second year, an open-ended question, 'How did you reason when completing this question?', was added to each of the these five items. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the responses.


RESULTS
Of 140 students who completed the FATCOD, 111 provided free-text responses. The analysis of these responses revealed three themes: death perceptions, the students' understanding of their current situation, and the nurse's responsibility.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides useful information on students' reasoning about emotionally demanding questions relating to the care of dying patients. Such knowledge is valuable in helping students to overcome their fear and fulfil their expectations concerning their future proficiency.
Associate Professor, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Box 457, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden, and Angered Local Hospital, Sweden.
Susann
S
Strang
Professor, University of Skövde, School of Life Sciences, Sweden.
Ingrid
I
Bergh
Senior Lecturer, University of Skövde, School of Life Sciences, Sweden.
Kristina
K
Ek
Senior Lecturer, University of Skövde, School of Life Sciences, Sweden.
Kina
K
Hammarlund
Senior Lecturer, University of Skövde, School of Life Sciences, Sweden.
Charlotte
C
Prahl
Senior Lecturer, Ersta Sköndal University College and Ersta Hospital, Palliative Research Centre, Stockholm, Sweden, and Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Sweden.
Lars
L
Westin
Senior Lecturer, Ersta Sköndal University College and Ersta Hospital, Palliative Research Centre, Stockholm, Sweden, and Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Sweden.
Jane
J
Österlind
Associate Professor, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sweden, and University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Ingela
I
Henoch
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult