ABSTRACT

Rarely heard about in our society are caregivers' thoughts and feelings about life, death, and dying and how they act on those feelings. "For the Living: Coping, Caring and Communicating with the Terminally Ill" provides an in-depth, qualitative look at the experiences of oncology healthcare professionals as they work with terminally ill patients. Through a series of recorded and edited interviews, the author explores the social and cultural dynamics that affect physicians, nurses, and social workers routinely encountering mortality and loss. What death and the prospect of dying mean to these individuals should not be taken lightly.

chapter |3 pages

Introduction

chapter |3 pages

Prologue

section Section One|2 pages

Oncology Healthcare Professionals

chapter Chapter 1|24 pages

Social Workers

chapter Chapter 2|20 pages

Nurses

chapter Chapter 3|62 pages

Doctors

section Section Two|3 pages

A Symbolic Interactionist Look at Death and Dying

chapter Chapter 4|10 pages

Acts of the Self

chapter Chapter 5|11 pages

Acts of Coping

chapter Chapter 6|16 pages

Acts of Communication