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Moving Toward Peace: An Analysis of the Concept of a Good DeathSchool of Nursing, University of WisconsinMadison, and Hospice Care Inc, Madison, Wisconsin; 600 Highland Avenue, K6/389 CSC, Madison, WI 53792-2455; kkehl{at}wisc.edu One of the primary outcomes of end-of-life care should be the experience of a good death by the patient and the family. Yet there is no clear, shared understanding of what a good death is. This analysis of the concept of a good death has been guided by Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis.1 Forty-two articles were analyzed. There was the strong agreement that the concept of a good death was highly individual, changeable over time, and based on perspective and experience. Medical, nursing, and patient perspectives, as well as literature in sociology, include the following attributes of a good death, listed in order of frequency of appearance in the literature: being in control, being comfortable, sense of closure, affirmation/value of the dying person recognized, trust in care providers, recognition of impending death, beliefs and values honored, burden minimized, relationships optimized, appropriateness of death, leaving a legacy, and family care.
Key Words: attitude to death palliative care terminal care
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 23, No. 4,
277-286 (2006) |
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