Hardie, PhilipMcCabe, CatherineTimmins, FionaThompson, David R.2023-09-202023-09-202023-06-052054-10582054-105810.1002/nop2.181010.1002/nop2.1810http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13012/165Aim: To explore Irish nursing students' experiences of caring for dying patients and their families to understand these experiences and determine whether or not students felt prepared for this role. Design: This study used a qualitative descriptive research design. Methods: One to one semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, implementing open-ended questions to explore seven student nurses' experiences. Results: Five main themes emerged: Student's first experiences, emotional experience of caring, educational preparation, challenging aspects of caring for dying patients and their families and need for support in practice. Students' first experience of caring for a dying patient and their family was a confronting event for students, both personally and professionally. Nursing students require adequate and timely education on end of life care and a practical and supportive clinical learning environment to effectively support and prepare students for caring for a dying patient and their familyenhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/General NursingDeathDyingEducationNursing studentArticle