Examining nurses’ death anxiety and attitudes toward caring for dying patients: a cross-sectional study in Turkey

Abstract

ABSTRACT Death anxiety may reduce the interaction between nurses and patients, causing nurses to focus more on the physical care needs of patients and ignore their psychosocial and spiritual needs. This study was conducted to examine nurses’ death anxiety and attitudes toward caring for dying patients. The data were collected using an information form, the Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale (TPDAS), and the Frommelt Attitudes Toward the Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD). The mean TPDAS and FATCOD scores were 46.71 (14.48) and 104.97 (13.55), respectively, and it was determined that they had moderate death anxiety and positive attitudes towards the care of dying patients. Those working in intensive care and internal medicine clinics had more positive attitudes toward caring for dying patients compared with those working in surgical clinics. Those who reported having a strong faith had lower death anxiety.