Attitude toward Death in Nursing Students

Jung, Sun-Young; Lee, Eun-Kyung; Kim, Bo-Hye; Park, Jin-Hwa; Han, Min-Kyoung; Kim, In-Kyung

The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 2011;17(2):168-177.
Published online August 31, 2011.

Jung, Sun-Young;Lee, Eun-Kyung;Kim, Bo-Hye;Park, Jin-Hwa;Han, Min-Kyoung;Kim, In-Kyung;

¹Department of Hospital Infection Control, Ewha Womans University
²Cheongam University
³Ewha Womans University
⁴Korean Nurses Association
⁵Asan Medical Center
⁶Ewha Womans University

간호학생의 죽음에 대한 태도

정선영, 이은경, 김보혜, 박진화, 한민경, 김인경

¹이화여자대학교 감염관리계
²청암대학
³이화여자대학교
⁴대한간호협회 정책국
⁵서울아산병원
⁶이화여자대학교

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude toward death in Korean nursing students. Method: The sample consisted of 365 baccalaureate nursing students. The questionnaires included questions on sociodemographics and death-related characteristics of the participants, and the Fear of Death and Dying Scale (FODS) to measure the attitude toward death. Result: The mean of the FODS score was 2.63 out of 4, so the participants had a slightly negative attitude toward death. There were statistically significant differences between gender, religion, religion activity, perceived health status, experience of parents' death, experience of friend's death, and overall FODS score. Among the four subscales of overall FODS, the score of the fear of death of self was significantly higher in the participants who experienced clinical practice and who experienced patient's death in the intensive care unit compared to the emergency room. Conclusion: Based on the study results, educational programs to change the attitude toward death are required before clinical practice. Programs need to consider nursing students' gender and religion, and give opportunity to share experiences and feelings about death of family or friend. In addition, using standardized patients and simulators is advised in the need for simulation training.

Key Words: Attitude to death, Students, Nursing