This thesis studies the impact of the terminal illness and
awareness of undergoing the dying process and inevitable death, at
the KwaZulu Government hospital Ngwelezana, at Empangeni in the
Lower Umfolozi District. A case study, drawing both upon nursing
and social anthropology, was conducted to establish the
experiences of death and dying of Zulu patients, their families
and caregivers. The basic trend reflected in the findings is the
need to discuss dying with patients, the lack of skills and
knowledge on the part of caregivers, lack of recognition of
patients' cultural beliefs. The study does not claim to deal with
a complete spectrum of the experiences of death and dying of all
Zulus but is a meaningful and significant innovation into an
unresearched area of patient care.
