| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 23
| Issue : 2 | Page : 179-183 |
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Exploring the concept of good death among the terminally ill patients
Devakirubai Earnest1, Angela Gnanadurai2
1 Vice-Principal, Sacred Heart Nursing College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Principal, Jubilee College of Nursing, Trissur, Kerala, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Devakirubai Earnest
Sacred Heart Nursing College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/ijcn.ijcn_46_22
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Transition in disease epidemiology has led to a significant increase in non-communicable diseases worldwide. This had led to an increase in patients with a terminal illness that requires quality EOL care. Providing excellent care for a dying patient is something all patients deserve. Recent studies have suggested that good death is the primary endpoint of end-of-life (EOL) care. The aim of the study was to assess the concept of good death amongst terminally ill patients. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted in a hospice in Chennai. A total of 120 terminally ill patients were selected purposively. An open-ended question was used to assess the concept of good death. Frequency and percentage for each of the responses were calculated. Three-fourth (75%) of the patients considered 'death without pain' as a good death. Following this, death during sleep (21.66%), death in the presence of a loved one (17.5%) completion of responsibilities (10%), death without suffering (9.16%), sudden death (5%) and death while being independent (4.16%) were termed as a good death. Quality EOL care is synonymous with holistic compassionate EOL care. Study findings conclude that nurses may be utilised in a more formalised and systematic way to deal with the psychosocial existential issues during EOL care and thus enhancing good death in patients.
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