Introduction

Dignified death represents the essence of palliative care, and maintaining dignity, especially in the final moments of life, has particular importance. Objectives. This study aimed to analyze the concept of a dignified death and its implications in the nursing field. Rodgers’ evolutionary method was provided to conduct the analysis.

Material and methods

The literature search was carried out in October 2015. Sampling was performed by reviewing articles in nursing and searching Google scholar, Science direct, Sid, PubMed, ProQuest, Magiran, and Springer databases. Keyword “death” alone or in combination with dignity and elegance was used for studying the related literature during 1998–2014. Therefore, 205 cases were retrieved and finally, 41 ones were analyzed.

Results

In this study, the characteristics of dignified death were identified in physical, social, and spiritual aspects. The antecedents were independence, social support, and readiness to die. Besides, the consequences of the concept consisted of two areas related to the family and the health team.

Conclusions

The concept of dignified death has been referred to in many contexts. However, considering the dignity of dying patients commensurate with their condition, nurses are required to assess the needs of these patients and their families. They should also develop a nursing program for the creation of dignified death.