Response to: A Qualitative Study of Perception and Experience Toward End-of-Life Care Among Nursing Students Who Witnessed Dying People in Their Family [Letter]

Dear editor

The article entitled “A Qualitative Study of Perception and Experience Toward End-of-Life Care Among Nursing Students Who Witnessed Dying People in Their Family”¹ really caught our attention. There are 3 advantages of this research: 1) reveals important findings namely the emotional impact of death on students, the importance of family presence and religious guidance during the death process, and the need for adequate support and preparation for nursing students in managing their emotions and providing end-of-life care effective; 2) has important practical implications for improving end-of-life care in Indonesia, which can be used to develop more effective education and training programs for students, as well as to increase attention to family presence and religious guidance in end-of-life care practice; 3) has global relevance, because students’ experiences and perceptions of end-of-life care can become relevant and important topics in various cultural and social contexts. This research makes a significant contribution to better understanding and development of end-of-life care in Indonesia and worldwide.

However, we also identified 2 limitations of this study: 1) cultural limitations, because this research was conducted in Indonesia with participants who were predominantly Muslim, so the findings and recommendations of this study may not be fully relevant or applicable in different cultural and religious contexts; 2) method limitations, because the data was collected through student reflective writing. This method can limit the depth and variety of data obtained compared to direct interview or observation methods.

Because of this, related to cultural limitations, it is better if in further research, more diverse samples are involved in order to obtain a broader understanding of various cultures and religions. This will assist in understanding the differences in views and practices of end-of-life care across different cultural and religious contexts. Meanwhile, related to the limitations of the method, it is better if in future research the method of observation and direct interviews with nursing students is also used. This method is expected to provide a deeper understanding and allow researchers to ask more specific questions and get direct responses from participants.²

By applying these suggestions, research can overcome existing cultural and methodological limitations, and provide a more comprehensive understanding of nursing students’ experiences and perceptions of end-of-life care.