A Good Death

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Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the ongoing process at a Swedish hospice to further develop a model for care planning, documentation, and evaluation of the quality of death. The model was adapted to a nursing context by means of concept derivation. The core of the model is the patient as a person, in which that person’s experiences and need for control in his or her life are acknowledged. Six key words have been used as guidelines in this process: symptom control, self-determination, social relations, self-image, synthesis, and surrender. In a retrospective analysis of patient deaths it was found that of 35 patients, 15 had a very good death, 17 a good death, and 3 a bad death. Use of the 6 S key words provided the staff with continual opportunities for reflection, which was described as increasing their awareness concerning the needs of individual patients and concerning individualized nursing care.

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