Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries in End-of-Life Education

There is a tremendous need to educate professional nurses and other health care providers in the care of the dying person. Both nurses and physicians have begun to recognize the need to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries to provide the complex care required during the last human transition. This article describes the evolution of a unique interdisciplinary graduate course on end-of-life issues at Wayne State University. Using a new model centered on narrative and culture, the course focuses on the synthesis of concepts from many of the stories told by and about dying people, their families and communities, and their various caregivers. The effects of 5 years of experience with the course on students, faculty, and the university community are described, and future directions are suggested.