Research experience with a person going through the process of dying and death

摘要

AS A POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHER IN NURSING Studying the process of dying and death in individuals and their families, I met and cared for a 34-year-old woman named Beth who had terminal breast cancer. My experience with Beth and her family was part of a larger research project that sought to learn the best way to care for such families.For many health care professionals, death is viewed as something contrary to life instead of a part of it. Indeed, most therapeutic efforts have the sole objective of cure.1 When a patient's condition becomes terminal, many health care professionals view their efforts as a failure and have difficulty accompanying and supporting their patient, leading to a sense of psychological and social abandonment in the person who is dying, as well as their family.The design of this research project included the ability to change focus in response to the dying individual and her family. The study group collaborated at key moments to make decisions regarding the execution of the study. My experience with Beth was therefore both individual and shared, making it enriching for all those involved. With my research goals in preliminary outline form, and facing fear, distress, and uncertainties, I placed myself in a challenging research position.