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Influence
of nurses' characteristics and education on their attitudes
towards death and dying: A review of literature
Khaled Abdallah Khader1, Samiha Suhail Jarrah2
and Jafar Alasad3*
1King Hussein
Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan.
2Department of Community Health
Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Applied Science Private
University, Jordan.
3College of Nursing, King Saud bin
Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences
(MC 3105),
P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
alasadj@ngha.med.sa,
jalasad@hotmail.com.
Tel: (+9661) 252-0088 ext. 48472.
Accepted
10 June, 2010 |
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Nurses working
in cancer centers deal frequently with the phenomenon of
death and dying during the daily care of patients. Their
demographic and experiential characteristics and previous
educational background can shape their attitudes toward care
for dying patients. To review relevant literature related to
nursing care at the
end of life and nurses’ attitudes towards death and dying, a
literature search was conducted utilizing Medline, Elton B
Stephens Company, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied
Health Literature. The descriptor words were: death, dying,
death experience, nursing, palliative care, attitudes,
attitudes toward care of the dying, attitude change, and
end-of-life. The review showed that certain standardized
education programs, like end of life nursing education
consortium, can change nurses' attitudes toward death and
dying. By using several education methods, including role
playing, case studies, reflection and open discussion, such
programs help nurses reflect on their emotions and cope with
the scene and thoughts of death and dying. Moreover, for
change to occur, adequate duration of education is
necessary. End of life education is vital for nursing
curricula and in-service education to improve nurses'
attitude toward death and dying and consequently improve
quality of nursing care of dying patients.
Key
words: Death, near-death experience, nursing care,
palliative care, end-of-life, attitude to death, education. |
