Abstract

Nurses are the caretakers that have the most contact with patients and families above any other member of the healthcare team. Nurses provide care to dying patients as part of professional and occupational responsibilities, potentially creating a stressful environment. It is important to understand how nurses psychologically adapt while providing care and support. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative research study was to explore, describe, and understand the experiences of nurses caring for dying patients in critical care. The study employed semi-structured face-to-face interviews utilizing naturalistic inquiry and a content analysis approach. A purposeful sampling of nine critical care nurses, interviewed between July 2024 and October 2024, were selected and participated this study. Eight themes were illuminated from the content analysis: empathy, feelings of ambivalence, inevitability, inspiration, relationship, responsibility, self-preservation, and sorrow all in the context of three subthemes: the patient, family, and healthcare team. The themes uncovered mediating behaviors by the nurse to overcome reactions and responses to critical care patient deaths, creating the ability to psychologically adapt. The central meaning of these findings concludes that nurses function as an adaptive system when faced with the stimuli of a dying patient. It is important that nurses who care for dying patients are informed by this research so they can enhance their functioning within the profession.

Notes

Funding Acknowledgement: 

Sigma, Mu Upsilon Chapter

References:

Curcio DL. Caring for Dying Patients: Understanding Critical Care Nurses’ Experiences. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing. 2026;45(2):71-78. doi:10.1097/DCC.0000000000000744

Dziubaszewska R, Makowicz D, Makowicz N. Difficulties faced by nursing staff when caring for a dying patient. Nursing Problems. 2021;29(1):7-13. doi: https://doi.org/10.5114/ppiel.2021.110449

Omran T, Browning Callis AM. Bereavement Needs of Critical Care Nurses: A Qualitative Study. Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 2021;40(2):83-91. doi:10.1097/DCC.0000000000000460

Zusman N, Scheinberg Andrews C, Kaslin V, C Kienski Woloski Wruble A. Creating a Supportive Work Environment: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach for Nurse Leaders. Nurs Rep. 2025;15(3):91. Published 2025 Mar 6. doi:10.3390/nursrep15030091

Description

The purpose of this presentation is to provide insight into what nurses experience while caring for dying critical care patients. The context of this presentation will provide reasoning and substantiate practices in nursing.

The learner will be able to:

  • identify how nurses use adaptation to care for dying critical care patients
  • recognize the importance of how to adapt to patient death
  • utilize other nurses’ experiences, attitudes, and actions to help enhance adaptation.

Author Details

Danna L. Curcio, PhD, RNC, FNP, CNE

Sigma Membership

Mu Upsilon

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Dying Patients, Critical Care, Death & Psychology, Attitudes Toward Death, Nurse-Patient Relationships, Intensive Care Nursing, Nurses' Attitudes, Terminally Ill, Terminal Care, Critical Care Nurses

Conference Name

37th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Conference Year

2026

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2026-09-26

Funder

Sigma Theta Tau International. Mu Upsilon Chapter

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Understanding Critical Care Nurses’ Experiences While Caring for Dying Patients

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Nurses are the caretakers that have the most contact with patients and families above any other member of the healthcare team. Nurses provide care to dying patients as part of professional and occupational responsibilities, potentially creating a stressful environment. It is important to understand how nurses psychologically adapt while providing care and support. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative research study was to explore, describe, and understand the experiences of nurses caring for dying patients in critical care. The study employed semi-structured face-to-face interviews utilizing naturalistic inquiry and a content analysis approach. A purposeful sampling of nine critical care nurses, interviewed between July 2024 and October 2024, were selected and participated this study. Eight themes were illuminated from the content analysis: empathy, feelings of ambivalence, inevitability, inspiration, relationship, responsibility, self-preservation, and sorrow all in the context of three subthemes: the patient, family, and healthcare team. The themes uncovered mediating behaviors by the nurse to overcome reactions and responses to critical care patient deaths, creating the ability to psychologically adapt. The central meaning of these findings concludes that nurses function as an adaptive system when faced with the stimuli of a dying patient. It is important that nurses who care for dying patients are informed by this research so they can enhance their functioning within the profession.