ArticleBMC nursing2026
End-of-life care perceptions among nursing students: a thematic study.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
objectivesThis study aims to explore nursing students’ perceptions of end-of-life care and the metaphors they use to describe the process, in order to reveal its humanistic and multidimensional aspects.
backgroundEnd-of-life care is a holistic approach that provides support and care services to individuals approaching the end of life. Nurses are responsible not only for managing physical symptoms during this process but also for offering emotional and social support. Understanding nursing students’ perceptions of end-of-life care is important for strengthening humanistic values and empathy in education. DESING: A qualitative study using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis was employed to identify both semantic and latent meaning patterns within students’ written expressions.
methodsThis research was conducted with 15 third-year nursing students enrolled at a university in Turkey. Data were collected using a semi-structured written interview form and analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach.
resultsStudents emphasized the importance of a holistic and empathetic approach rather than merely technical interventions in end-of-life care. Five main themes emerged in the analysis: Nursing at Life’s Final Stop, The Silent Vigil of Those Left Behind, The Nurse’s Inner Experience, A Message to Be Remembered, and Metaphorical Depictions. Taken together, these themes show that students conceptualized end-of-life care as a multidimensional, humanistic, and emotionally profound process, which they sought to make sense of through metaphors.
conclusionsStudents described end-of-life care through metaphors such as “a silent journey” and “a setting sun,” portraying the patient as “a delicate flower,” the nurse as “a lantern,” and the family as “a leaf in a storm.” These metaphors highlighted the patient’s fragility, the nurse’s guiding role, and the emotional burden experienced by the family, deepening the understanding of the multidimensional nature of end-of-life care. The findings also suggest that nursing education should focus not only on technical skills but also on humanistic values such as empathy, compassion, patience, and meaningful communication. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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