Physicians' Experiences with Patients' Deaths- Meaning and Connection

For physicians encountering a patient's death can be complex and may involveissues of personal meaning and emotional connection. As meaning andconnection shape experiences so experiences shape purpose and understandingaffecting encounters and relationships with others. It is through thisliving process that individuals learn and grow. Physicians' experiences andlearning have an impact on how they care for patients and how they viewtheir own work. This work examines physicians' experiences with patients'deaths. It shows that physicians learned from patients' death and that learningwas more often related to communication than medical care. Physiciansalso derived personal meaning from their experiences and felt deep emotionalconnections with their patients and the families of patients long rememberingemotionally powerful deaths. Non-physicians may find the experiences recountedhere provide insight into the world of medicine. Providing effectivecare for dying patients and their families can be a powerful way to helpphysicians connect or re-connect to the meaning of their work.