Exploring medical and nursing students' perceptions of death and dying: a qualitative study using photo-elicitation interviews.
8 affiliations
- 1Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Block MD6, Level 5, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117599, Singapore. [email protected].
- 2Department of Nursing, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Singapore.
- 3Department of Nursing, Woodlands Health Campus, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Singapore.
- 4Department of Nursing, Changi General Hospital, Singapore Health Services, Singapore, Singapore.
- 5Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
- 6The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- 7School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
- 8Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Block MD6, Level 5, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
Abstract
Background
An individual's perception of death and dying is influenced by multidimensional factors, including societal, relational and personal aspects. When factors such as cultural taboos and fears dominate, they can negatively shape one's perception of death and dying. Consequently, inexperienced medical and nursing students may be more susceptible to the negative impacts of dealing with death and dying.Aim
To explore perceptions of death and dying among medical and nursing students.Method
A descriptive qualitative study using participant-selected photo-elicitation interviews was conducted at a medical school situated in Singapore. A purposive sample based on a maximum variation technique was used to select 32 medical and nursing students. Individual semi-structured audio and video-recorded interviews were conducted via Zoom. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were subjected to thematic analyses. Photos were used to complement the interview narratives.Results
A total of three themes were derived from the analysis, (1) interpretations of death and dying, (2) navigating through cultural and spiritual beliefs, and (3) encountering deaths in everyday life. While participants viewed death as a celebration of a life's journey, they also feared uncertainties about what happens after death. Their perceptions were shaped by cultural norms, taboos, and spiritual beliefs. Additionally, participants' perceptions of death were shaped by the proximity and strength of their relationship with the deceased.Conclusions
The findings of this study can contribute to the broader literature by providing an in-depth understanding of medical and nursing students' perception of death. The recommendations to the medical and nursing curriculum through the introduction of death conversations, pastoral care, and resilience training can help support students as they navigate their way through their academic journeys.
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BibTeX
@article{ang2026exploring,
title = {{Exploring medical and nursing students' perceptions of death and dying: a qualitative study using photo-elicitation interviews.}},
author = {Wei How Darryl Ang and Ming Marcus Chua and Jin Wei Fan and Daniel Zhi Yu Ramos Oon and Jung Jae Lee and Shek Nam Marques Ng and M Kamala Devi and Laura Tham Schmidt},
journal = {BMC nursing},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12912-026-05125-6},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928198},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploring medical and nursing students' perceptions of death and dying: a qualitative study using photo-elicitation interviews.
AU - Wei How Darryl Ang
AU - Ming Marcus Chua
AU - Jin Wei Fan
AU - Daniel Zhi Yu Ramos Oon
AU - Jung Jae Lee
AU - Shek Nam Marques Ng
AU - M Kamala Devi
AU - Laura Tham Schmidt
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/27
JO - BMC nursing
DO - 10.1186/s12912-026-05125-6
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928198
AB - Background An individual's perception of death and dying is influenced by multidimensional factors, including societal, relational and personal aspects. When factors such as cultural taboos and fears dominate, they can negatively shape one's perception of death and dying. Consequently, inexperienced medical and nursing students may be more susceptible to the negative impacts of dealing with death and dying.Aim To explore perceptions of death and dying among medical and nursing students.Method A descriptive qualitative study using participant-selected photo-elicitation interviews was conducted at a medical school situated in Singapore. A purposive sample based on a maximum variation technique was used to select 32 medical and nursing students. Individual semi-structured audio and video-recorded interviews were conducted via Zoom. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were subjected to thematic analyses. Photos were used to complement the interview narratives.Results A total of three themes were derived from the analysis, (1) interpretations of death and dying, (2) navigating through cultural and spiritual beliefs, and (3) encountering deaths in everyday life. While participants viewed death as a celebration of a life's journey, they also feared uncertainties about what happens after death. Their perceptions were shaped by cultural norms, taboos, and spiritual beliefs. Additionally, participants' perceptions of death were shaped by the proximity and strength of their relationship with the deceased.Conclusions The findings of this study can contribute to the broader literature by providing an in-depth understanding of medical and nursing students' perception of death. The recommendations to the medical and nursing curriculum through the introduction of death conversations, pastoral care, and resilience training can help support students as they navigate their way through their academic journeys.
SN - 1472-6955
ER -