How Internal Medicine Residents Deal with Death and Dying: a Qualitative Study of Transformational Learning and Growth

For medical trainees, the common source of work related stress, is death!

Death creates distress for medical students and residents, because they are not trained in how to manage their emotions, and their grief, when a patient dies.  

The study, which includes medical residents, and recent graduates in the UAE.  Don't let the location of the UAE make you feel the USA is any better.  Death is death, regardless of nationality, and the way society responds to death and dying, is mostly universal, with a few exceptions.

In this study, the residents participated in transformational learning about their experiences with death and dying, and five major themes emerged, they are:
Emotions
Support
Education and Experience
Coping Strategies 
Finding Meaning

The study showed, that as the residents progressed in transformational learning, they were able to improve their end-of-life (EOL) patient care!

This transformational growth enabled them to effectively care for the dying and their families.

This is profound!  When medical staff also gains EOL understanding and knowledge, they are better able to support the dying, and not add to any additional suffering for all involved.

​Begin now, and see the power of EOL transformational learning!

How Internal Medicine Residents Deal with Death and Dying:
​a Qualitative Study of Transformational Learning and Growth