Death and dying in the work of nurses

Dying is a process composed of three consequential phases. It starts with the pre-dying period then there is the dying period and it is finished by the post - mortem period. Every period has its own specificity and hospital nurses have to be able to look after a person passing through the successive dying periods, and they have to percive him/her as a holistic being including his/her biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs that also have to be satisfied. Even in the post - mortem period a dead patient has the right to be treated with regard and respect. The most important link in all the periods is communication with both the dying patient and his/her family and the survivors after his/her death. The target of the thesis was to find out how hospital nurses perceive taking care of a dying person in hospitals and how hospital nurses look after a dead body. The following research questions were stated: How is the dying period perceived by hospital nurses? What obstructions in communication are there between hospital nurses and survivors? How do hospital nurses look after dead bodies? To figure out the investigation the method of qualitative research with the use of depth interview was used. The respondents were willing to record the interviews which were verbally - rewritten and then subjected to the contents analysis by the method paper and pencil. From the research it is clear that hospital nurses can cope with dying and death. However, taking care of dying people is not easy. Hospital nurses try to comfort the dying and satisfy their biological, psychological and social needs. But it is an alarming discovery that no spiritul needs are satisfied at all.Taking care of a dying person also involves communication with his/her family, hospital nurses try to meet all the wishes and needs. Hospital nurses do not use touching and listening while communicating with a dying patient, they do not even mention the stages by Elisabeth Kübler - Ross. The lack of time and suitable premises inhibits nurses from communication with survivors. Besides the form "Information for survivors" which includes the necessary details of arranging funerals and hospital social worker´s telephone number, hospital nurses do not provide any information, they do not even have any knowledge how to conduct survivors. Hospital nurses take care of dead bodies with regard and respect in terms of hospital standard. Care is provided in the room itself, if there is the lack of space, a screen is used so that other patients can not see the dead body. Survivors can part with the dead patient in the hospital room. There is no special room for that purpose. More than half of respondents is not educated in the field of dying and death any longer. On the basis of the research investigation and after the consultation with the senior nursing officer the training course will be organized. The topic of the training course will concentrate on the dying period and death with intent to the stages by Elisabeth Kübler - Ross, spiritual needs of dying patients, ways of communication with dying patients and how to conduct survivors. The form "Information for survivors" will be supplied with further information which can help survivors cope with the difficult situation that has occured. Other discovered facts, for example, the lack of suitable premises, time and staff can not be influenced by the respondents, but it could surely be influenced by the hospital management