Do student nurses within an undergraduate child health programme feel that the curriculum prepares them to deal with the death of a child?

Abstract

This article discusses the findings of a qualitative study undertaken within a university in the UK to investigate whether the curriculum prepares student nurses in an undergraduate children’s nursing programme to deal with a child’s death. The literature examined made it clear that end-of-life education remains inconsistent within nursing schools, particularly highlighting a deficit within children’s nursing, and leaving many students at a disadvantage when faced with a child’s death within the practice setting. The article concludes that acquiring the knowledge and skills to enable students to deal confidently with a child’s death may not be achievable within a classroom setting, however more could be done to address students’ concerns in dealing with such a significantly traumatic event. The recommendations are that death education needs to take a higher priority earlier on in the curriculum, and that students need to be provided with the opportunity to reflect on their experiences within small group discussions.