Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract An undergraduate elective course in death, dying, and bereavement was developed in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Nursing in 1973. It has been offered eight times since that year, with over 400 students having completed it. The evolution of the course is described along with the development of objectives, selection of content, sequence of presentation of materials, identification of suitable instructional methods, and methods of evaluation. The value of a weekend workshop within the context of the course is discussed in detail. The content chosen for emphasis included dealing with death, ethical and legal issues, postdeath activities, grief and survivorship, and community resources. Course assignments and expectations, along with a variety of instructional aides, are described. Evaluations at the end of the course were generally positive about the course content and the weekend workshop. A follow-up questionnaire based on the 13 objectives of the course identified three objectives as having been achieved as a result of the course: the identification of coping mechanisms for life crises; description of developmental stages of dying and the validity of stage paradigms; and identification of personal beliefs and attitudes. Instructor concerns are also discussed.
Swain et al. (Tue,) studied this question.