Nursing Students' Attitude toward Death and Perception on Hospice Care

Han, Jiyoung; Lee, Naeyoung

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine nursing students' attitude toward death and perception on hospice care.
METHODS
The survey was performed with 277 nursing students in three universities in Daegu and Busan. The data was collected by questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS
Regarding the attitude on death, 93.9% of the subjects had ever thought about death. They worried about separation and sadness with family (39.7%). About half (48.7%) of the subjects considered death as a final process of the life. With regard to the perception of hospice, 93% of the subjects heard about hospice through books or nursing courses (83.8%). The best hospice management institution was considered the one run by religious groups or non-profit organizations with government support (33.9%). Ideal model of hospice setting in Korea was hospital or institution specialized with hospice care (47.7%). The barriers the subjects thought to effective hospice care in Korea was the lack of the public consensus on the need for hospice program (37.9%). The average perceptions about the purpose of hospice care was 4.38, whereas, the average of the need of hospice care was 4.06.
CONCLUSION
The findings of the study provides the basis for expanding nursing practice and education related to hospice care.