A person can read textbooks, medical journals, and any online source, but will have difficulty finding a clear definition of what constitutes a "good" death for a patient. Indeed, the definition of a “good” death varies from one individual to another. The Institute of Medicine defined a “good” death in 1997 as one “free from avoidable distress and suffering for patients, families, and caregivers; generally consistent with the wishes of patients’ families; and reasonably consistent with clinical, cultural, and ethical standards” (Field 12). The importance is focused on the patient and their family, while satisfying all medical procedures and inclinations. Using this definition and three sources, This Wild Darkness by Harold Brodkey, And A Time to Die by Sharon Kaufman, and Brother I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat, it is clear that there are four main factors that constitute a "good" dead. These four factors are symptom control, a good relationship with healthcare professionals, good preparation and acceptance of death, and a possibility of closure or a sense of completion in the patient's life. From a physical point of view, no criterion is more important than the control of symptoms throughout the dying process. Often, patients involved in hospice or palliative care will take medications to help manage symptoms associated with the terminal illness. Federal guidelines that regulate hospice care require that every reasonable effort be made to ensure that the patient's pain is managed, and for many, pain is the most important symptom to control. Doctors are likely to begin pain treatment by prescribing over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol, Aspirin and others. As ...... middle of paper ...... plan. Volunteers provide comfort through human presence and a break from the norm. Forgetting the illness and discussing the life lived can have a profound effect on the patient's mood about death. Overall, all of these positions contribute to the success of the palliative care process because they improve the patient's quality of life, and a high quality of life is extremely important in achieving a "good" death. This is why an open and healthy relationship between the healthcare team and the patient is essential to achieve a “good” death. Between the increase in physical treatments and the final preparation and acceptance of death is the time during which the patient must find closure. It is this closure that is most important in the dying process, and one is unlikely to experience a "good" death if adequate closure is not achieved...