Nurses who care for patients suffering from terminal illnesses cannot afford to rest on their laurels. It is, I believe, important for nurses, however effective they believe they are, to question their practice frequently and to reconsider their own personal beliefs surrounding death. This article sets out to offer some insight into some of the negative psychological effects that terminal illness can bring, both to the sufferer and to their friends and family. This paper finally offers some ideas for consideration to aid the nurse to take another look at the way he or she cares for the patient.