Sharing experiences of death and end-of-life care

摘要

From the past three decades of working in health care, in general and palliative care in particular, the author has recognised that the discussion around death and dying often provokes uncomfortable professional conversations.The author's experience indicates that such conversations are not only delicate or sensitive, but can elicit death anxiety in some people and overt avoidance of the topic in others. Death comes to every person at some point.Therefore, avoidance is not a rational option. For health professionals working with dying patients, every death might be a painful reminder of how fragile their own life is, and that they are thus forced to face their impending mortality.