“I found myself in the middle of a patient’s dying scene”: a qualitative study of senior nursing students’ first experiences

Senior nursing students’ first experience of death is crucial to managing the process they will encounter in their future professional careers. This study aimed to explain the clinical experiences of senior nursing students who encountered death for the first time. A descriptive qualitative approach was used. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 16 nursing students by descriptive qualitative design. Data were collected with semi-structured interview form and were analyzed using thematic analysis method. Three themes and seven sub-themes were obtained: “First confrontation with death”, “Staying in the Middle of Dying Scene”, “Facilitators for coping with death”. The nursing internship program is an important educational activity. Participants were given the opportunity to face death in the first person, which effectively fostered the development of emotional awareness and professional growth. Simulations should be increased in nursing education to strengthen both technical and non-technical skills related to the dying process. Nursing students experienced emotional distress during their first real-life encounter with death. They often feel unprepared and emotionally overwhelmed during their first experience with patient death in clinical settings. -Provides in-depth insights into senior nursing students’ emotional and cognitive responses during their first encounter with patient death. -Emphasizes the importance of supportive team dynamics in helping students manage the emotional impact of witnessing death. -Despite having theoretical and practical knowledge, students struggled to apply real life scenarios under stress. -The students experience anxiety, fear, and a lack of knowledge and skills in clinical practice. Educational interventions may improve attitudes and preparedness. -For nursing educators and curriculum designers, this study provides evidence for incorporating emotional resilience training, simulation scenarios, and team-based coping strategies in undergraduate nursing programs. -The internship program fostered self-awareness and professional preparedness throughout clinical practice. Support from peers and healthcare teams played a key role in coping with emotional challenges. -Future research should examine the long-term effects of these educational interventions and investigate the role of peer and professional support in students’ experiences.