14 Death and Dying
CHAPTER LESSON PLANS & OBJECTIVES
Lesson 14.1: Providing Support During Stages of Dying
- 1. Define the end-of-life period and brain death
- 2. Describe Kübler-Ross’s stages of dying
- 3. Discuss ways to provide comfort and support to patients in the dying period
- 4. Understand the conflicts and stress that families face during the dying period
- 5. Discuss significant ethical issues surrounding death and dying
Lesson 14.2: Issues and Procedures Following Death
- 6. Define cultural competence as it applies to the dying patient
- 7. Discuss the concept of determination of death and the physical changes in the body immediately after death
- 8. Give examples of a coroner’s case
- 9. Discuss principles of organ recovery
Classroom Preparation
Lesson 14.1: Providing Support During Stages of Dying
INSTRUCTOR PREPARATION
Textbook Objectives Covered
- 1. Define the end-of-life period and brain death
- 2. Describe Kübler-Ross’s stages of dying
- 3. Discuss ways to provide comfort and support to patients in the dying period
- 4. Understand the conflicts and stress that families face during the dying period
- 5. Discuss significant ethical issues surrounding death and dying
National Standards Covered
- • See the Fuller 8e/AST Core Curriculum Mapping Guide on Evolve instructor resources.
Classroom Preparation
Lesson 14.1: Providing Support During Stages of Dying
STUDENT PREPARATION (1 hr)
| 1 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Introduction • Defining the End of Life • Cause of Death ANSWER – Textbook • Review Question 1 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 2 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Models of Death and Dying ANSWER – Textbook • Review Question 2 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 3 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Support and Comfort for the Dying and Bereaved Patient ANSWER – Textbook • Review Question 7 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 4 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Family Sudden Unexpected Death ANSWER – Textbook • Review Questions 3, 4 • Case Study 1 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 5 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Ethical Considerations in Death and Dying Self-Determination Right to Die Advance Health Care Directives Conflicts in Palliative Care ANSWER – Textbook • Review Questions 5, 6 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
50-Minute Lesson Plan
Lesson 14.1: Providing Support During Stages of Dying
LECTURE OUTLINE (50 min)
| POWERPOINT SLIDES | CHAPTER HEADING(S) | |
| 1 | END OF LIFE AND BRAIN DEATH: SLIDES 4-6 | • Introduction • Defining the End of Life • Cause of Death |
| 2 | MODELS OF DEATH AND DYING: SLIDE 7 | • Models of Death and Dying |
| 3 | COMFORT AND SUPPORT: SLIDE 8 | • Support and Comfort for the Dying and Bereaved Patient |
| 4 | FAMILIES: SLIDE 9 | • Family Sudden Unexpected Death |
| 5 | ETHICAL ISSUES: SLIDE 10 | • Ethical Considerations in Death and Dying Self-Determination Right to Die Advance Health Care Directives Conflicts in Palliative Care |
Learning Activities (choose one or more to equal 50 min)
| 1 | DISCUSS (50 min) • Discuss the CDC’s coding system used for registering cause of death. Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
| 2 | ROLE PLAY (30 min) • Break the class into five small groups and assign one stage of dying to each group. Each group will create a scenario illustrating their stage to be presented to the class. • Appropriate Settings: Traditional classroom |
| 3 | DISCUSS (30 min) • Working in small groups, ask students to discuss ways they can comfort a dying patient. Ask volunteers to share their ideas with the class. Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
| 4 | DISCUSS (30 min) • Working in small groups, ask students to discuss the potential impact of the dying patient on the family. Ask volunteers to share their ideas with the class. Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
| 5 | DISCUSS (30 min) • Discuss the significant ethical issues surrounding death and dying. Emphasize the role of the surgical technologist and the ethical dilemma he or she faces. (Include death of infants, children, family, and adults.) Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
Critical Thinking Question
While perioperative caregivers may only have brief encounters with the dying patient in the operating room, how can you as a surgical technologist provide support and care for the patient in the dying process? What should the surgical technologist do?
Discussion Guidelines: Students should recognize that no matter how brief their contact with the dying patient, all encounters can provide an opportunity to support and care for the patient in the dying process. Strong communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal, are critical, and the surgical technologist’s senses should be heightened. Surgical technologists should focus on what the patient is experiencing in the operating room or the holding area and look for any change in mood or anxiety level. The patient’s verbal and physical cues should be the guideline rather than assumptions about what the patient might feel the needs are.
Classroom Preparation
Lesson 14.2: Issues and Procedures Following Death
INSTRUCTOR PREPARATION
Textbook Objectives Covered
- 6. Define cultural competence as it applies to the dying patient
- 7. Discuss the concept of determination of death and the physical changes in the body immediately after death
- 8. Give examples of a coroner’s case
- 9. Discuss principles of organ recovery
National Standards Covered
- • See the Fuller 8e/AST Core Curriculum Mapping Guide on Evolve instructor resources.
Classroom Preparation
Lesson 14.2: Issues and Procedures Following Death
STUDENT PREPARATION (1 hr)
| 6 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Cultural Responses to Death and Dying Spiritual and Religious Concepts ANSWER – Textbook • Review Question 8 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 7 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Death in the Clinical Setting Determination of Death Postmortem Care Natural Changes in the Body after Death ANSWER – Textbook • Review Question 10 • Case Study 1 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 8 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Death in the Clinical Setting General Postmortem Procedures Coroner’s Cases ANSWER – Textbook • Review Question 9 • Case Study 1 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| 9 | READ – Chapter Heading(s) • Death in the Clinical Setting Organ Recovery Health Professionals Confronting Death ANSWER – Textbook • Review Questions 11, 12 ANSWER – Workbook • Chapter 14 PREPARE – Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
50-Minute Lesson Plan
Lesson 14.2: Issues and Procedures Following Death
LECTURE OUTLINE (50 min)
| POWERPOINT SLIDES | CHAPTER HEADING(S) | |
| 6 | CULTURAL COMPETENCE: SLIDE 12 | • Cultural Responses to Death and Dying Spiritual and Religious Concepts |
| 7 | DETERMINATION OF DEATH AND PHYSICAL CHANGES: SLIDES 13-14 | • Death in the Clinical Setting Determination of Death Postmortem Care Natural Changes in the Body after Death |
| 8 | CORONER’S CASE: SLIDE 15-16 | • General Postmortem Procedures General Postmortem Procedures Coroner’s Cases |
| 9 | ORGAN RECOVERY: SLIDES 17-18 | • General Postmortem Procedures Organ Recovery Health Professionals Confronting Death |
Learning Activities (choose one or more to equal 50 min)
| 6 | INVITE (50 min) • Invite a guest speaker and have him or her discuss various cultural differences in dealing with death and dying. A local member of the clergy who is involved in health care would be an excellent guest speaker. Appropriate Settings: Traditional classroom |
| 7 | DISCUSS (30 min) • Ask students to work in groups to discuss the changes in the body immediately following death and things that can affect those changes. Ask volunteers to share their ideas with the class. • Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom CREATE (50 min) • Ask student volunteers to create a chart listing the activities that follow the determination of death. Students should discuss the role of the surgical technologist following a determination of death. Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
| 8 | CREATE (50 min) • Ask student volunteers to create a table comparing and contrasting postmortem care in typical cases and coroner’s cases. • Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
| 9 | DISCUSS (30 min) • Ask students to work in groups to discuss what factors might contribute to whether a person chooses to be an organ donor. Ask volunteers to share their thoughts with the class. • Ask students to work in groups to discuss the ways a patient or family can indicate the desire to donate organs or tissue. How does the required request law affect donations? Ask volunteers to share their ideas with the class. • Appropriate Settings: Traditional/online/flipped classroom |
Critical Thinking Question
The patient dies during a case for which you are a member of the surgical team. What emotional and psychological events are triggered? What coping skills can be employed to help the surgical technologist deal with this event?
Discussion Guidelines: Students should identify their previous experience with death, the support available in the health care environment, their personal beliefs and values, and their knowledge about the process of death and one’s own emotional well-being.
Assessments
Chapter 14: Death and Dying
ASSESSMENTS BY OBJECTIVE
| 1-9 | Workbook • Chapter 14 Evolve Instructor Resources • Test Bank Create a quiz using ExamView; sort by objective. Evolve Student Resources • Mock Certification Exam • Review Questions |
| All | Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing • Chapter 14 – Graded quizzes (Mastery Levels 1, 2, and 3) |
