.png)
Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine whether the death anxiety of nurses has an influence on the attitudes toward caring for dying patients.
Methods: The study was carried at the University Hospital. The sample of research was composed of 327 nurses who work in intensive care and clinic units. Survey data were collected using Personal Information Form, Thorson–Powell Death Anxiety Scale, and Frommelt Scale of Attitudes toward Caring for Dying Person.
Results: The mean point of death anxiety in nurses working in intensive care units is higher than those who work in clinic units (t=2.09, P = .03). It was found that inexperienced nurses who faced death frequently in the unit they work exhibited a negative attitude during the care of a dying patient (F=3.87, P = .02), (F=3.86, P = .02). It was found that nurses having higher death anxiety exhibited a more positive attitude (r=0.13, P = .01). It was determined that to deal with the mourning of a patient dying during their care, 48.3% of the nurses accepted death as a natural cycle as a way of relaxation, whereas 27.2% of them prayed.
Conclusion: This study showed that death anxiety in nurses working in intensive care units to be higher than those in clinical units. Moreover, it indicated that nurses having high death anxiety exhibit a positive attitude during the care of a dying patient. According to the results obtained, trainings on raising awareness decrease the nurses’ own death anxiety and positive or negative attitudes which they exhibit during the care of dying patients and improvement of methods used to deal with death.
Cite this article as: Şahin M, Demirkıran F. Does death anxiety affect nurses’ attitudes toward the care of a dying patient? A cross-sectional study. Neuropsychiatr Invest. 2021;59(1):8-13.