Nursing Students' Attitude to Death, Death-related Education Experience and Educational Needs

Kim, Soon-Hee; Kim, Dong-Hee

The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 2011;17(3):405-413.
Published online December 31, 2011.

Kim, Soon-Hee;Kim, Dong-Hee;

¹College of Nursing, Pusan National University
²College of Nursing, Pusan National University

간호대학생의 죽음에 대한 태도, 죽음관련 교육경험과 교육 요구도

김순희, 김동희

¹부산대학교 간호대학
²부산대학교 간호대학

Abstract

Purpose
This study was to investigate nursing students' attitude to death, death-related education experience and educational needs. Methods: The participants of this study were 1,134 nursing students' studying in three universities in Gyeonsangnam-do. Data collection was carried out from October 1st to November 31st, 2010. The collected data was analyzed for descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Sheffe test using PASW Statistics 18.0. Results: The level of attitude to death of the subjects averaged 2.60. The item receiving the lowest score was 'I am not afraid of a long, slow death'. Approximately 62.0% of the nursing students' had no death-related education experience and 89.8% of those answered that death-related education was necessary. For attitude to death followed by general characteristics, death-related education experience and educational needs, there were significant differences in attitude to death according to gender, religion, perceived health status, worrying about problems, motivation of nursing, and an experience with death. Conclusion: As nursing students' have a high educational need university curriculum development and educational programs addressing death should be developed and applied to nursing students.

Key Words: Nursing students, Attitude, Death, Education