Using the arts and humanities to support learning about loss, suffering and death.

In this article, the benefits of using the arts and humanities as teaching and learning strategies are explored. Their contribution to undergraduate nursing curricula, as a means of promoting a deeper understanding of the experiences of loss, suffering and death, cannot be undervalued. They need to be present equally alongside the physical and social sciences in nursing curricula. More than ever, is the need for all undergraduate nursing students to participate in self-reflection of these experiences, in order that they may meet the needs of their patients and families adequately, in a range of healthcare settings.