This paper published in the journal ‘Nursing Practice Today’ attempts to give a broad overview of the phenomenon of Near Death Experience (NDE) as a concept analysis.

The authors hope that appreciation of this potentially profound experience (including cognitive, affective, paranormal and transcendental components) on patients will assist nurses in providing improved support and integration in their care delivery.

Paper: Near-death experience: A concept analysis.
Author(s): Azeem Kaleem
Journal: Nursing Practice Today.
Published: April 2023
Link to full paper (pdf).

To conclude, the near-death experience can be defined as a real, conscious, and subjective experience that is reported by individuals with or without life-threatening conditions and is characterized by the detailed memory of cognitive, affective, paranormal, or transcendental components. Above all those explanatory frameworks (psycho-physiological, transcendental, or empiricist/survivalist models), it is the health care provider’s responsibility to recognize this phenomenon and must respond as an active listener, non-judgmental, and educator to patients and their families. Unfortunately, negative remarks from healthcare professionals upon disclosure of NDE are because of the lack of or insufficient knowledge about the phenomenon. It is recommended to initiate a curriculum related to NDE in health care professions for the management of NDE individuals for early identification and integration of NDE into patients’ lives. This integration is expected to bring positive outcomes in the physiological, psychological, mental, social, and spiritual well-being of the patients.