Death Over Dinner – Exploring Healthcare Students’ Perceptions of Death, Dying, and Grief: Professional Identity Formation at the Bedside of Mortality.
Abstract
Introduction: This interdisciplinary mixed-method study examines medical, pharmacy, and nursing students’ perceptions of death, dying, and grief within professional training contexts. Despite frequent exposure to patient loss during training, many healthcare students report limited preparation for navigating end-of-life conversations, supporting grieving families, and processing their own emotional responses. This study explores students’ lived experiences with death, perceived educational preparedness, and the role of structured dialogue in fostering professional identity development and emotional competence. Methods: Nine facilitated 90-minute dinner-based focus groups were conducted with first-year medical, pharmacy, and nursing students (N ≈ 65). Sessions followed a structured discussion guide addressing personal experiences with death, definitions of a “good death,” anticipated professional challenges, and emotional preparedness. Participants completed brief surveys assessing prior exposure to death, comfort discussing mortality, and perceived training adequacy. Audio-recorded discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic qualitative analysis to identify recurrent patterns related to grief processing, educational gaps, and professional identity formation. Results: Thematic analysis revealed four interrelated themes: (1) limited formal training and inconsistent curricular integration of death and grief education; (2) emotional tension between professional composure and authentic grief responses; (3) uncertainty in communicating with patients and families about dying; and (4) the value of structured, peer-supported dialogue in normalizing emotional reactions and fostering reflective capacity. Quantitative findings complemented and reinforced the qualitative themes, highlighting variability in students’ prior exposure, comfort levels, and perceived preparedness related to death, dying, and end-of-life care. Implications: Findings underscore the need for early, structured, and interdisciplinary death education embedded within healthcare curricula. Facilitated dialogue models such as Death Over Dinner may serve as scalable interventions to enhance emotional preparedness, communication confidence, and professional resilience among future healthcare providers. Keywords: Death education, grief, healthcare students, end-of-life care, professional identity formation, interdisciplinary education
Start Time
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 12:00 PM
Room Number
304
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Grad/Comp Orals
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Graduate
Faculty Mentor
Erin Mauck
Death Over Dinner – Exploring Healthcare Students’ Perceptions of Death, Dying, and Grief: Professional Identity Formation at the Bedside of Mortality.
304
Introduction: This interdisciplinary mixed-method study examines medical, pharmacy, and nursing students’ perceptions of death, dying, and grief within professional training contexts. Despite frequent exposure to patient loss during training, many healthcare students report limited preparation for navigating end-of-life conversations, supporting grieving families, and processing their own emotional responses. This study explores students’ lived experiences with death, perceived educational preparedness, and the role of structured dialogue in fostering professional identity development and emotional competence. Methods: Nine facilitated 90-minute dinner-based focus groups were conducted with first-year medical, pharmacy, and nursing students (N ≈ 65). Sessions followed a structured discussion guide addressing personal experiences with death, definitions of a “good death,” anticipated professional challenges, and emotional preparedness. Participants completed brief surveys assessing prior exposure to death, comfort discussing mortality, and perceived training adequacy. Audio-recorded discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic qualitative analysis to identify recurrent patterns related to grief processing, educational gaps, and professional identity formation. Results: Thematic analysis revealed four interrelated themes: (1) limited formal training and inconsistent curricular integration of death and grief education; (2) emotional tension between professional composure and authentic grief responses; (3) uncertainty in communicating with patients and families about dying; and (4) the value of structured, peer-supported dialogue in normalizing emotional reactions and fostering reflective capacity. Quantitative findings complemented and reinforced the qualitative themes, highlighting variability in students’ prior exposure, comfort levels, and perceived preparedness related to death, dying, and end-of-life care. Implications: Findings underscore the need for early, structured, and interdisciplinary death education embedded within healthcare curricula. Facilitated dialogue models such as Death Over Dinner may serve as scalable interventions to enhance emotional preparedness, communication confidence, and professional resilience among future healthcare providers. Keywords: Death education, grief, healthcare students, end-of-life care, professional identity formation, interdisciplinary education
