Having conversations about death and dying can be very difficult to initiate and engage in with others. The following activity, based on the card game The Death Deck, was designed to encourage students to engage with others about difficult conversations surrounding death and dying. The activity provides students with questions and prompts that…

Medical schools in the United States continue to undergo curricular change, reorganization, and reformation as more schools transition to an integrated curriculum. Anatomy educators must find novel approaches to teach in a way that will bridge multiple disciplines. The cadaveric extraction of the central nervous system (CNS) provides an…

Background: Many people with intellectual disabilities are affected by death, yet conversations about death are often avoided by staff working with them. This study aimed to assess staff training needs and to develop, trial and evaluate a training course on communicating about death and dying. Method:(i) Semi-structured interviews with 20 staff in…

First-aid methods recommended for snakebites are included in Science textbooks in Brazil. Books published before 1996 provided misleading information in this respect and it is possible that such recommendations derived from North-American experiences conducted at the beginning of the 20th Century. The official evaluation of textbooks carried out…

Of 128 outdoor education related deaths examined since 1960, 14 have been due to falling trees or branches. This article examines the grounds on which death or serious injury due to falling trees or branches can be regarded as an inherent risk in outdoor education, and the extent to which such incidents can be regarded as preventable. It compares…

Describes an experimental death awareness workshop based on Kubler-Ross' theory. The effects of the workshop reveal cognitive and emotional changes indicating participants in the workshop to be moving towards an acceptance of death. (Author)

Describes bereavement support program for survivors of cancer deaths developed by Riverdale Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. Presents detailed program evaluation which asked bereaved survivors who were program participants for one year to evaluate program aspects and facilitation of their grief by volunteers. Recommendations for expansion and…

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States and the cause of premature death of approximately 2 million individuals in developed countries. Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths and is a major cause of heart disease, cerebrovascular…

The experience of loss can place children and young people in a vulnerable position as it affects their development and overall emotional and social wellbeing. The experience of loss can markedly influence young people's perceptions of themselves and their world. They may not trust the predictability of events, their self-image may be damaged,…

Contains seven articles reviewing various death education programs for health professionals. Discusses death education in undergraduate and advanced nursing practice programs; a graduate course focusing on social, psychological, and cultural conditions influencing death; two death education programs in medical schools; and humanistic health care…