Meanings of death and dying in undergraduate nursing course: an experience report

Abstract

Objective: this article aims to relate the teaching experience of the discussion about the meanings of death expressed by undergraduate nursing students. Method: such discussion about the concepts of death took place in the discipline of Health Psychology of undergraduate nursing course of Federal University of Santa Maria. Twelve undergraduate students participated in the activity. The method used in the classes was action reflection. Results: from the reports about death, organized by the students, seven categories emerged, presenting the meanings attributed by them: “Relief for the soul”; “Inexorability of death”; “Fear from the unknown”; “Degradation of the body”; “Experience of another person’s death: memories”; “Naturalization of Death”; Designation of Death as something nefarious”. Final Considerations: the multiplicity of meanings of death, which concern several dimensions, such as the biological, social, psychological and cultural, allowed the students and the teacher to build and transform their knowledge regarding death