A Study of Nursing College Students' Attitude towards Death by Psychosocial Characteristics

간호대학생의 사회심리적 특성에 따른 죽음에 대한 태도

Purpose: This study was performed to identify nursing college students' attitudes towards death and was conducted as a pre-investigation to prepare them for coping with terminally ill patients in their clinical practice. Methods: The subjects consisted of 321 nursing students. Their attitudes towards death were measured by using the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale(CLFODS). The data obtained were analyzed by using the one-wayANOVA and Duncan's multiple test using the SAS 9.2 soft ware program. Results: The mean CLFODS score was 2.99. Among the 4 subscales, there were significant differences among the students with respect to grade, indirect experience of death, social isolation, daily life stress, and suicidal ideation in the past year. Conclusion: A negative attitude towards death was observed in the psychosocial characteristics, with indirect experience of death, social isolation, daily life stress, and suicidal ideation in the past year. It is necessary to educate students on how to care for dying patients before clinical practice. This education can be carried out by developing a death education program after considering the above mentioned psychosocial characteristics noted in this study.