Memento Mori: The development and validation of the Death Reflection Scale

Despite its potential for advancing organizational behavior (OB) research, the topic of death awareness has been vastly understudied. Moreover, research on death awareness has predominantly focused on the anxiety‐provoking aspect of death‐related cognitions, thus overlooking the positive aspect of death awareness, death reflection. This gap is exacerbated by the lack of a valid research instrument to measure death reflection. To address this issue, we offer a systematic conceptualization of death reflection, develop the Death Reflection Scale, and assess its psychometric properties across four studies. Further, using a sample of 268 firefighters, we examine whether death reflection buffers the detrimental impact of mortality cues at work on employee well‐being and safety performance. Results provide strong support for the psychometric properties of the Death Reflection Scale. Further, moderation analysis indicates death reflection weakens the negative effect of mortality cues on firefighters' safety performance. Overall, these findings suggest the newly developed Death Reflection Scale will prove useful in future research on death‐related cognitions

Caveat Emptor:On Time, Death and History in Late Modernity

This article focuses on 'revivalism' and 'resurrectionism'. While the former is a sociological label for contemporary rituals of dying and death, the latter is a label for contemporary practices of historiographical representation. By exploring the formal and substantive similarities between 'revivalism' and 'resurrectionism', this study offers a speculative reflection on the relationship between time, death and history in late modernity

Using web-based reflection with video to enhance high fidelity undergraduate nursing clinical skills education

The United States is currently facing a crisis in health care and health professions education. Various studies (Committee on Quality of Health Care in America 2000; 2001; General Accounting Office, 2001) have documented astonishing death rates from medical errors as well as nursing and physician shortages. Thus it is obvious that the traditional “hands on” model historically used to teach and assess clinical judgment competence is or has become inadequate. New advances in simulation and web-based technologies can, if leveraged well, help educators address these challenges. Thus far, high fidelity simulation (HFS) clinical skills education sessions have been primarily conducted and debriefed in real time and the use of any related video recordings has been confined to faculty regarding its review. The goal of this project was to pilot test the impact of providing students the opportunity to review the video of their simulated session while reflecting on their performance within a structured format. The live debriefing that is a part of HFS sessions is also a form of reflection. The guided reflection prompt exercise used in this pilot is a secondary form of reflection. This paper describes the theoretical basis for this exercise, the findings of its initial evaluation and post study research that illuminates its limitations

Pedagogical Techniques that Provide Educational Value to Social Work Students through Bereavement Academics and Empathetic Advancements

The lack of empathy in college students has been documented and empathy levels are reported to have declined over recent years. College student bereavement has not been well-researched (Balk, 2008) but the lack of declining college student empathy has documentation in psychological expressions (Balk, 2008). This article addresses social work students engaged in an academic bereavement assignment that incorporates student centered instruction (SCI) and “teaching through relationships.” Using an untimely social work students’ death, students utilize research, reflection, cooperative small group learning, and applied theory, to compose a writing assignment. Intentionally introducing the “sorrowful empty chair” in the bereavement assignment led to reflective thoughts that are equal to empathy and shows a reflection model in production. Applying theoretical framework to current events aids students understanding of theory. While current events’ research improves student research skills as well as their theoretical understanding, the application of theoretical frameworks and current events with research, leads to an increase in student devotion and commitment to produce good work

The Lutheran Student Movement in Canada: a brief history and analysis

The essay is a revision of a paper originally prepared for a joint consultation between the LSMC, the Student Christian Movement and Yanik (a student group in Quebec) held in Montreal in February, 1977. Written shortly after the death of Donald H Voigts, former executive secretary of the Divisions of Educational Service and Campus Foundation Activity of the Lutheran Council in Canada, it was compiled with a view to beginning a process of reflection upon the historical development of the LSMC and of campus ministry in Canada

The reflection room: Shifting from death-avoiding to death-discussing

Thinking about dying and death is something we tend not to do, and those who promote Advance Care Planning for the health care in ourlast days, hours and minutes would like us to do more. However, planning requires us to think about how we want to live our final days and then share those wishes with others. This research proposes the question: How might we use human-centred design and qualitative research to go from being a death-avoiding society to a death- discussing society? Human beings are storytellers. Understanding complex challenges through narrative builds empathy. Stories also trigger the imagination for future possibility. We propose that providing places for storytelling — and places for reading the stories of others — might trigger more thinking and break through the social complexity that can be a barrier to discussing dying and death. As part of a year-long research project, we are creating “Reflection Rooms” – both short-term physical spaces across Canada and an online website – where people are invited to write their stories about dying and death and read the stories of others. We will share emerging themes from the research and pose the questions: How might we engage patients and families in shared storytelling as they navigate decision-making at end-of- life? How might collective storytelling about dying and death support the design of human-centred Advance Care Planning experiences? At the RSD5 Conference we also propose to set-up a Reflection Room pop-up for the duration of the conference and invite people to take a few moments to reflect on their own experiences with dying and death and add them to the reflection wall to continue building the collective story

Specific and individuated death reflection fosters identity integration

Identity integration is the process wherein a person assimilates multiple or conflicting identities (e.g., beliefs, values, needs) into a coherent, unified self-concept. Three experiments examined whether contemplating mortality in a specific and individuated manner (i.e., via the death reflection manipulation) facilitated outcomes indicative of identity integration. Participants in the death reflection condition (vs. control conditions) considered positive and negative life experiences as equally important in shaping their current identity (Experiment 1), regarded self-serving values and other-serving values as equally important life principles (Experiment 2), and were equally motivated to pursue growth-oriented and security-oriented needs (Experiment 3). Death reflection motivates individuals to integrate conflicting aspects of their identity into a coherent self-concept. Given that identity integration is associated with higher well-being, the findings have implications for understanding the psychological benefits of existential contemplation

Determinants of hospital death in haematological cancers: findings from a qualitative study

© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. Objectives: Current UK health policy promotes enabling people to die in a place they choose, which for most is home. Despite this, patients with haematological malignancies (leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma) are more likely to die in hospital than those with other cancers, and this is often considered a reflection of poor quality end-of-life care. This study aimed to explore the experiences of clinicians and relatives to determine why hospital deaths predominate in these diseases.Methods: The study was set within the Haematological Malignancy Research Network (HMRN-www.hmrn.org), an ongoing population-based cohort that provides infrastructure for evidence-based research. Qualitative interviews were conducted with clinical staff in haematology, palliative care and general practice (n=45) and relatives of deceased HMRN patients (n=10). Data were analysed for thematic content and coding and classification was inductive. Interpretation involved seeking meaning, salience and connections within the data. Results: Five themes were identified relating to: the characteristics and trajectory of haematological cancers, a mismatch between the expectations and reality of home death, preference for hospital death, barriers to home/hospice death and suggested changes to practice to support non-hospital death, when preferred. Conclusions: Hospital deaths were largely determined by the characteristics of haematological malignancies, which included uncertain trajectories, indistinct transitions and difficulties predicting prognosis and identifying if or when to withdraw treatment. Advance planning (where possible) and better communication between primary and secondary care may facilitate non-hospital death

Growing up with HIV: The experiences of young people living with HIV since birth in the UK

About the book: This book draws together a range of both classic and newly commissioned pieces on the multidisciplinary study of death and dying. Organized into five parts, the book begins with a general exploration of the meaning of death, before moving on to consider caring at the end-of-life. Further readings explore the moral and ethical dilemmas in the context of death and dying. The fourth part of the book examines the issue of grief and ritual after death. The final part considers some of the issues that arise when researching the field of death and dying. By drawing together information, reflection, and experience this authoritative text will broaden your understanding of the subject area. The book is designed as a core text for students in nursing, medicine, social work, counseling, and health and social care. It will also be essential reading for all professionals and care givers who come into contact with death and bereavement