In the nursing education system, death education is crucial for nursing students' future professional performance and personal psychological adjustment. However, current research mainly focuses on clinicians and nurses, with less research on nursing students. This paper reviews the concept of death education at home and abroad, the current situation of death education for nursing students at home and abroad, the methods of death education for nursing students, and makes suggestions for death education for nursing students, with a view to providing references for effective death education among nursing students.

Changqun Ding, Yulian Zhang, Jilin Xu, Dan Wang, Xingfeng Yu, Huolan Zhu, Liqun Huang. Research progress on death education methods of nursing students. Academic Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences (2025), Vol. 6, Issue 1: 31-37. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJMHS.2025.060105.

[1] Croxon L, Deravin L, Anderson J. Dealing with end of life-New graduated nurse experiences[J]. J Clin Nurs, 2018,27(1-2):337-344.

[2] Tang M L, Goh H S, Zhang H, et al. An Exploratory Study on Death Anxiety and Its Impact on Community Palliative Nurses in Singapore[J]. J Hosp Palliat Nurs, 2021,23(5):469-477.

[3] Betriana F, Kongsuwan W. Grief reactions and coping strategies of Muslim nurses dealing with death [J]. Nurs Crit Care, 2020,25(5):277-283.

[4] Doka K J. Hannelore Wass: Death Education--An Enduring Legacy[J]. Death Stud, 2015,39(9): 545-548.

[5] Leviton D. The need for education on death and suicide[J]. J Sch Health, 1969,39(4):270-274.

[6] Corr et al. Death and dying, life and living[M]. Wadsworth, 2000.

[7] Wass H. A perspective on the current state of death education[J]. Death Stud, 2004,28(4):289-308.

[8] Du ZZ et al. Dictionary of Medical Ethics[M]. Zhengzhou University Publishing House, 2003.

[9] Zhou YH. Death education[M]. Guangdong People's Publishing House, 2008.

[10] Niu ZC. Life Education - Ethics and Science[M]. Yang Zhi Culture Business Co, 2004.

[11] Ferrell B, Malloy P, Mazanec P, et al. CARES: AACN's New Competencies and Recommendations for Educating Undergraduate Nursing Students to Improve Palliative Care[J]. J Prof Nurs, 2016, 32(5):327-333.

[12] Tang L, Zhou LJ, Zhang JL. Overview of the development of death education at home and abroad [J]. Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing, 2012, 18(4): 479-481.

[13] Dickinson G E. Thirty-five years of end-of-life issues in US medical schools[J]. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2011, 28(6):412-417. 

[14] Brohard C, Moreland E, Shammas S, et al. From Development to Implementation: The Effectiveness of a High-Fidelity Simulation for Advance Care Planning for Undergraduate Nursing Students [J]. J Hosp Palliat Nurs, 2021,23(6):504-511.

[15] Dickinson G E, Paul E S. End-of-Life Issues in UK Medical Schools[J]. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2015,32(6):634-640.

[16] Zhang HL, Wang D, Luo Y. Analysis and reflection on the development of death education at home and abroad[J]. Journal of Nursing（China), 2015(11): 29-32.

[17] Liu Y, Li MJ. Progress of Research on Death Education in Nursing[J]. Contemporary Nurses (upper issue), 2017(9): 6-8.

[18] Tian J, Wang CG. An analysis of death education in the nursing profession[J]. Curriculum Education Studies (Teaching New Teachers), 2015(6): 22.

[19] Bu XL, Zhang HC, Wang YH, et al. Construction and teaching practice of Hospice Nursing course for nursing undergraduates [J]. Chinese Journal of Nursing Education, 2022,19(11): 970-975.

[20] Guo QH, Guo KS. Effects of aging experience combined with death highlights on nursing students' hospice care attiitude and death anxiety[J]. Chinese Nursing Research, 2021,35(18): 3377-3379.

[21] Bennett M P, Lovan S, Hager K, et al. A one hour teaching intervention can improve end-of-life care[J]. Nurse Educ Today, 2018,67:93-99.

[22] Glover T L, Garvan C, Nealis R M, et al. Improving End-of-Life Care Knowledge Among Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students[J]. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2017,34(10):938-945.

[23] Diekelmann N. Reawakening thinking: is traditional pedagogy nearing completion?[J]. J Nurs Educ, 1995,34(5):195-196.

[24] Ironside P M. Using narrative pedagogy: learning and practising interpretive thinking[J]. J Adv Nurs, 2006,55(4):478-486.

[25] Ironside P M. Narrative Pedagogy: Transforming Nursing Education Through 15 Years of Research in Nursing Education[J]. Nurs Educ Perspect, 2015,36(2):83-88.

[26] Chan E A. Evaluating narrative pedagogy in nursing education in Hong Kong[J]. Nurs Sci Q, 2008,21(3):261-267.

[27] O'Shea E R, Mager D. End-of-life nursing education: Enhancing nurse knowledge and attitudes[J]. Appl Nurs Res, 2019,50:151197.

[28] Oba K, Tanimura C, Noguchi Y, et al. Perspectives of nursing students on end-of-life nurse education: A qualitative study of the guided death experience[J]. Nurse Educ Today, 2023,126:105834.

[29] Foltz-Ramos K. Experiential Education About Patient Death Designed for Undergraduate Nursing Students[J]. Nurs Educ Perspect, 2023,44(6):371-373.

[30] Shaw P A, Abbott M A. High-fidelity simulation: Teaching end-of-life care[J]. Nurse Educ Today, 2017,49:8-11.

[31] Zhang L, HuangLQ. Theoretical research and practical application of film and television medium in death education in colleges and universities[J]. Chinese Nursing Research, 2017,31(16): 1996-1998.

[32] Jung H C. [Death education for medical personnel utilizing cinema][J]. Korean J Gastroenterol, 2012, 60(3):140-148.

[33] Ozcakir A, Bilgel N. Educating medical students about the personal meaning of terminal illness using the film, "Wit"[J]. J Palliat Med, 2014,17(8):913-917.

[34] Nicol J, Pocock M. Memento Mori: Can art assist student nurses to explore death and dying? A qualitative study[J]. Nurse Educ Today, 2020,89:104404.

[35] Head B A, Smith L C. Use of Contemporary Film as a Medium for Teaching an Online Death and Grief Course[J]. J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care, 2016,12(3):195-213.

[36] Chappell P M, Healy J, Lee S, et al. Communicating With Dying Patients and Their Families: Multimedia Training in End-of-Life Care[J]. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2017,34(7):637-644.

[37] Friedrichsdorf S J, Remke S, Hauser J, et al. Development of a Pediatric Palliative Care Curriculum and Dissemination Model: Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) Pediatrics[J]. J Pain Symptom Manage, 2019, 58(4):707-720.