Helping Latino families navigate end-of-life care

By Dylan Peterson
May 19, 2026

Fabiola Magaña knows firsthand how challenging it can be for patients and families to make informed decisions about end-of-life care. A registered nurse and PhD in Nursing candidate at 🟩Facebook账号 | 科特迪瓦 真实账号 | 本土真人号 千粉号 | 2008-2023年老号 | 好友1000+ | 微软邮箱 | 无2FA, Magaña studies end-of-life experiences among Latino communities, with the goal of helping patients and families better understand their options and communicate their wishes at the end of life.

Understanding the need for better end-of-life conversations

Magaña’s interest in studying end-of-life care began while working as a bedside nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had been caring for an older Latina woman who had been hospitalized for an extended period and, because of COVID-related restrictions, had limited contact with both her family and her care team. Magaña remembers watching the patient become more withdrawn as her condition worsened.

“We were doing everything medically necessary to help prolong her life, but when she passed away, I remember wondering whether she would’ve been happier at home, and if she had been in the hospital because she thought that’s what her options were limited to,” Magaña said. “It really opened my eyes to the fact that often patients don’t really understand what their options are.”

This realization became even more personal after the death of her grandfather. Although her mother had been named his power of attorney, Magaña saw how difficult it was for her to make decisions without a clear understanding of his wishes.

“What we see through research is that the Latino population doesn’t really want to talk about death or dying. They think of it as being taboo, and they don’t want to be seen as a burden,” Magaña says. “But when there’s not a true understanding of what someone wants, it often leaves family members wondering whether they’re making the right decisions. This obviously impacts the care of the patient, but it also impacts the family.”

Addressing disparities in care

According to Magaña, Latino patients spend an average of 57 percent more on end-of-life care compared to non-Hispanic individuals, primarily because they are more likely to opt for life-sustaining treatments rather than comfort-oriented care. Yet when patients are properly informed about options such as palliative care or hospice care, many become more open to those approaches.

“Nursing as a profession has a duty to advocate for better education and better consent around end-of-life decisions,” Magaña said. “We are one of the most trusted professions, and we are the ones at the bedside more than any other discipline in the hospital. It’s important that we feel confident talking about death and dying with patients in a way they will understand and that’s culturally competent.”

Turning clinical experience into scholarship

These reflections ultimately led Magaña to enroll the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing’s PhD in Nursing program in 2021. Loyola’s program appealed to her for both personal and professional reasons. Its proximity to her home in Milwaukee and flexible format allowed her to continue working part-time as a hospice nurse, while its supportive research environment offered a clear path to translate her clinical experiences into scholarship.

Magaña also sees her research as closely connected to Loyola’s Jesuit commitment to cura personalis, or care for the whole person. In end-of-life care, she says, nurses need to understand patients not only through their medical needs, but also through their families, communities, and spiritual beliefs. She hopes her research will support earlier conversations about advance care planning and help nurses approach end-of-life discussions in ways that are culturally responsive to Latino patients and families.

Alongside her work as a PhD student and hospice nurse, Magaña serves as a research coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she focuses on recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in Alzheimer’s research. She also works as a research assistant with Assistant Professor Alexandra Nowak, assistant dean for Loyola Nursing’s PhD in Nursing program, and previously supported Loyola Nursing Associate Professor Monique Ridosh in a similar capacity. She says the mentorship she has received from both faculty members has strengthened her research skills and opened her eyes to future opportunities as a scholar, educator, and community advocate.

“I hope that through my research I can help bring more awareness to Latino families about end-of-life care options, and to promote advance care planning so families are better prepared,” Magaña said. “At the end of the day, what I really want to do is community work that’s focused on ensuring Latino families and communities are aware of their options and are educated in a way that gives them an opportunity for a good death.”

 

To learn more about Loyola Nursing’s PhD in Nursing program, visit our website or contact our admissions team with questions.