Death with Dignity in End-of-Life Nursing Care: Concept Analysis by Rodgers’ Evolutionary Method

BACKGROUND: The concept of dying with dignity is being discussed in various fields, including psychology, sociology, medicine, and nursing, with different definitions available for this concept. However, few studies investigated the concept of end-of-life nursing care, which plays an important role in the implementation of the concept. This concept can also affect people’s perception, attitude, and behavior toward practicing dignified death in health-care centers. The current study aimed to clarify, understand, and further recognize the concept of death with dignity in end-of-life nursing care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis was used to clarify the concept of death with dignity in end-of-life nursing care. MEDLINE, BLACKWELL, PROQUEST, Science Direct, and CINAHL databases and national databases of SID and Iran Medex were systematically searched to identify relevant studies using various combinations of the following keywords: “dignity,” “dignified death,” “dying with dignity,” and “dignifying death” in combination with “end-of-life care.” All articles with the above-mentioned terms in their title, abstract, or keywords and published in English from 2006 to 2020 were included. A total of 21 articles were finally identified for review. RESULTS: Characteristics of dying with dignity were categorized into two dimensions of human dignity and holistic care. The antecedents included professional and organizational factors, and outcomes included good death and career promotion. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that end-of-life nursing care is an important dimension of clinical nursing that plays a unique role in admission and facilitating the process of dying and, eventually, dying with dignity.