The topic of death and dying can cause a lot of controversy for healthcare professionals. Not only can it cause them legal problems, but it also involves many ethical issues. Almost all healthcare workers have experienced a situation involving death or dying. This tends to be a difficult topic for many people, so healthcare professionals should use caution when handling these matters. Health workers not only deal with patients' problems but also with those of the family. Some of the controversies surrounding death and dying include many; stages of death and dying, quality of life issues, medication use, and advanced directives. The stages of death are known to be a grieving process experienced by individuals of all stages of life. This grief results from the death of an individual or the death of a loved one. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has dedicated much of her career to studying this dying process and, in turn, created the five stages of death. The five stages are; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These phases may not occur sequentially and may sometimes intersect with each other (Axelrod, 2006). The reality of death often causes a feeling of denial; this is known as the first stage. At this stage, people experience many emotions and have a tendency to hide from reality. This reaction is momentary, but should not be rushed. The patient or loved one needs time to adjust to the expected death. This adjustment helps take them to the next stage; anger. Anger is a common feeling and many times comes from the feeling of not being ready. This emotion can be directed toward God, strangers, friends, family, or even healthcare professionals (Purcell, 2006). In some cases, it can be targeted… middle of paper… There are many options for a patient regarding their healthcare and it is important that they are informed about all aspects. The topic of death and dying is a common occurrence in the field of healthcare. There are many factors involved in caring for a dying patient and the various stages that the patient, their loved ones and even the healthcare provider may go through. There are many controversies in healthcare related to death, however much of it originates from people's attitudes towards it. Everyone handles death differently; each person is entitled to their own opinions and coping mechanisms. Healthcare workers are very important during death-related situations; as they are a great source of support for a patient and their loved ones. It is essential that healthcare providers provide ethical, legal and honest care to their patients, regardless of the situation.