The role of theatre in end of life care education
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: BackgroundNurses require clinical skills and emotional intelligence to provide holist end of life care yet often feel unprepared for this (1)To facilitate conversation about end of life care, pre-registration nurses at University of the West of England watched a theatre performance exploring death, bereavement and grief.Aim To explore how theatre contributes to end of life care education for pre-registration nursing students.Method Third-year nursing students watched a theatrical performance in December 2022(2). Four students took part in an online focus group to explore their experiences of the performance in January 2023. Data were analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis. University Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained.ResultsThree main themes were identified.1.Increased empathy for those affected by bereavement and griefParticipants expressed the act of observing a theatre performance ‘changes the way that you look at patients, families’ (participant 1) and ‘helped me understand what people may be going through’ (participant 4).2.Relinquishing of professional responsibility Being an audience member enabled students to explore the topic as a person rather than through the identify of a student nurse as ‘it removes the need for our reaction to them. We're not thinking... how am I coming across? .. (it).. essentially it lets us think’ (participant 2).3.Permission to feelThe fictional nature of the performance gave students opportunity to fully engage with their emotions as it ‘made me feel’ (participant 1) and ‘brought up my own emotions...it was... validating’ (participant 3) and allowed them to ‘feel what you're really feeling without fear of upsetting anybody’ (participant 2).Discussion: The creative and dynamic nature of theatre has potential to facilitate engagement with emotions and perspectives not usually accessed through traditional teaching methods.ConclusionThis small-scale study highlights the value of theatre in end of life care nurse education. References1.Murnane S, Purcell G, Reidy M. Death, dying and caring: exploring the student nurse experience of palliative and end-of-life education. British Journal of Nursing. 2023;32(11):497-s21. 2.Lamb H, Harris L. Sisters, seagulls and send offs: Haylo Theatre [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Mar 10]. Available from: https://haylotheatre.com/performances/sisters-seagulls-and-send-offs/
Authors: Armoogum, Julie, Rogers, Kathy
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204359871