Overview

You will explore a wide range of aspects of death and dying in contemporary Australia in this discovery topic. The death and dying topic considers medical knowledge alongside broader socio-cultural and religious contexts, to bridge the gap between our healthcare and deathcare systems. You will develop compassion and understanding for the diversity of human responses to death. The topic of death and dying will provide a sound foundation for those particularly interested in pursuing patient and compassion centred healthcare.

Intended learning outcomes

• Recognise the diversity of views on death and dying in contemporary Australia from medical, socio-cultural, religious, and personal perspectives
• Demonstrate knowledge of what happens to the dead beyond the healthcare system, including fundamental aspects of funerals, body disposal practices, and memorization, within diverse communities
• Reflect on the role that cultural and religious beliefs and practices play in medical and ethical decision-making at the end-of-life, such as the place of death, organ and body donation, and voluntary assisted dying
• Discuss taboos around the use of language referring to death and dying, including within the medical community, and their impact on patient care
• Demonstrate professional skills in cultural sensitivity and compassionate communication to apply to conversations with patients and their families in medical decision-making at the end-of-life.