Factors and Beliefs that Condition the Attitude of Health Science Students towards End of Life in Spain and Bolivia: A Multicenter Study.

Sagrario Pérez-De La Cruz,Ivonne Ramírez,César Maldonado

doi:10.3390/ijerph17176373

Abstract

Health Science students in Spain and Bolivia should be trained in the management of the processes of death and dying of patients. The aim of this study was to examine the degree of training, self-perceived safety and preferences in relation to the care of terminal and non-terminal patients. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study with students of Medicine, Nursing and Physiotherapy in Spain and Bolivia. The following variables were evaluated: care preparation and emotional preparation to caring for terminally ill and non-terminally ill patients, the Death Attitude Profile Revised (PAM-R) and the Bugen Scale for Facing Death. The self-perceived preparation of students for caring for terminally ill patients can be considered “fair” (mean 2.15, SD 0.756), and this was also the case for their perceived emotional preparation (mean 2.19, SD 0.827). In contrast, the score obtained for their preparedness for treating non-terminal patients was higher (mean 2.99 and 3.16, respectively). Working with terminally ill patients, including terminal or geriatric cancer patients, was the least preferred option among future health professionals. The results obtained show a limited preference for end-of-life care and treatment, highlighting a lack of preparation and motivation among health science students in Spain and Bolivia for working with these patients.

Highlights

The concept of death and dying and our attitudes towards the same have shifted over the last centuries and, even more so, in recent decades
The results indicate that students in Bolivia feel better prepared than Spanish students for the care of terminally ill and non-terminally ill patients, as well as feeling emotionally prepared for the care of terminally ill patients
A study by Benbunan-Bentata et al (2007) [24] highlights a further aspect that is very important during this transition between life and death, concerning the presence, involvement, affection and effects of the emotions shown by the health professionals and how they face the anxiety and stress derived from this situation

Summary

Introduction

The concept of death and dying and our attitudes towards the same have shifted over the last centuries and, even more so, in recent decades. The ageing of the population and the consequent increase in people with chronic illnesses means that the number of terminal situations has increased, with a limited life prognosis and intense personal and family suffering, often in a context of health care that is highly technological [2,3]. Professionals trained in the field of healthcare must face death continuously, working in close contact with the family of the person who has just passed away. Professionals face fear towards death and to the process leading up to it, such as enduring the patient’s agony, pain, and loss of physical and mental faculties [4]. The importance of a health professional’s attitude towards the process of death and pain is becoming increasingly recognized [5,6]. Health professionals work in a stressful work environment and witness intense experiences related to the end of life and survival

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