Abstract
Of the 4.7 million registered nurses working in the United States, 55% work in acute care hospitals, and one-quarter will leave the profession within five years (Smiley et al., 2023). To fill these vacancies novice nurses will be hired, caring for the sick and dying. This can be a challenge affecting wellbeing and creating diminished quality patient and family centered care (Akpinar et al., 2025). Domains, guidelines, and criteria were created addressing the emotional impact of caring for the dying while sustaining resilience, self-care, support, and adaptation (NCPQPC, 2018). Additionally, ten domains were developed (AACN, 2021), one aimed at commitment to health, well-being, and wellness promotion for nurses.
The purpose of this presentation is to share experiences of acute care registered nurses caring for dying patients providing knowledge to decrease workplace stress and positively influence competency, productivity, quality care, and adaptation (Clayton & Marczak, 2023).
A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with a purposeful sampling of eight acute care registered nurses using semi-structured face-to-face interviews along with a content analysis approach.
Outcomes resulted in identifying seven themes: empathy; ambivalence; inevitability; inspiration; relationship; self-preservation; and sorrow in relation to patients, families, and the healthcare team.
First-hand clinical experiences allow nurses to learn about loss, grief, and coping with dying patients. Sharing stories can enhance adaptation to similar experiences, help nurses understand, feel less isolated, and provide optimal patient care (Clayton & Marczak, 2023).
Objectives, Nurses will be able to:
- utilize these findings to benefit their wellbeing
- appraise the importance of this information
- evaluate the promotion of connection
- formulate meaning making by creating connectedness
Notes
Reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Mu Upsilon
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Stress/Coping, Acute Care, Transition to Practice or Onboarding, Well-Being, Terminal Care, Acute Medical Care, Psychological Stress, Stress Management, Onboarding (Management Coaching), Registered Nurses
Recommended Citation
Curcio, Danna Leigh, "Caring for Dying Patients: Implications for Wellbeing of Registered Nurses" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 9.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2026/presentations_2026/9
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
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
2026-04-22
Funder
Sigma Theta Tau International. Mu Upsilon Chapter
Caring for Dying Patients: Implications for Wellbeing of Registered Nurses
Washington, DC, USA
Of the 4.7 million registered nurses working in the United States, 55% work in acute care hospitals, and one-quarter will leave the profession within five years (Smiley et al., 2023). To fill these vacancies novice nurses will be hired, caring for the sick and dying. This can be a challenge affecting wellbeing and creating diminished quality patient and family centered care (Akpinar et al., 2025). Domains, guidelines, and criteria were created addressing the emotional impact of caring for the dying while sustaining resilience, self-care, support, and adaptation (NCPQPC, 2018). Additionally, ten domains were developed (AACN, 2021), one aimed at commitment to health, well-being, and wellness promotion for nurses.
The purpose of this presentation is to share experiences of acute care registered nurses caring for dying patients providing knowledge to decrease workplace stress and positively influence competency, productivity, quality care, and adaptation (Clayton & Marczak, 2023).
A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with a purposeful sampling of eight acute care registered nurses using semi-structured face-to-face interviews along with a content analysis approach.
Outcomes resulted in identifying seven themes: empathy; ambivalence; inevitability; inspiration; relationship; self-preservation; and sorrow in relation to patients, families, and the healthcare team.
First-hand clinical experiences allow nurses to learn about loss, grief, and coping with dying patients. Sharing stories can enhance adaptation to similar experiences, help nurses understand, feel less isolated, and provide optimal patient care (Clayton & Marczak, 2023).
Objectives, Nurses will be able to:
- utilize these findings to benefit their wellbeing
- appraise the importance of this information
- evaluate the promotion of connection
- formulate meaning making by creating connectedness
Description
A significant amount of novice nurses work in hospitals, caring for the dying. This can affect nurses’ wellbeing, causing untoward effects and diminished quality patient and family centered care. This presentation reveals the experiences of registered nurses caring for dying patients, understanding their loss, grief, and adaptation. Sharing stories enhances adaptation, helps nurses feel less isolated, creates a healthy environment, and the ability for optimal patient care.