nursing; caring for the sick
General term for looking after someone who is ill or bedridden, often with a sense of attentive care.
母の看取りのために仕事を休んだ。
I took time off work to care for my sick mother.
deathwatch; attendance at a deathbed
Specifically refers to being present and caring for someone in their final moments; often used in hospice or end-of-life contexts.
祖父の看取りに立ち会えてよかった。
I'm glad I was able to be present at my grandfather's deathbed.
在宅での看取りを希望する家族が増えている。
More families are hoping to provide nursing care at home.
The experience of attending a deathbed is important for nurses.
看病 is nursing someone through an illness, often temporary; 看取り implies a more continuous, watchful presence, sometimes until death.
Standard kanji spelling for nursing and deathbed care; 看 carries the nuance of watching over someone.
Alternate spelling using 見 (to see/watch); less specific than 看取り but still used.
Compound of 看 (watch over, care for) and 取り (noun form of 取る, here meaning 'to take on the role of'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with attentive nursing and end-of-life care.