<p>A ‘good death’ is a multi-faceted phenomenon whose strands may be difficult to untangle. As a result, end-of-life care presents numerous challenges for nurses and these must be seen in the context of technological advances and a growing medicalisation of health care. It is argued in this article that only by exploring fully a dying person’s individual end-of-life choices and striving to meet them can quality of death be maintained or improved.</p>