This study aimed to identify the effects of well-dying awareness, nursing professionalism, and end-of-life care attitude among general hospital nurses. The participants in this study are 163 nurses in general hospitals. Data were collected from July ...
This study aimed to identify the effects of well-dying awareness, nursing professionalism, and end-of-life care attitude among general hospital nurses. The participants in this study are 163 nurses in general hospitals. Data were collected from July 24, to August 11, 2023. The collected data were analyzed using by descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. The results of the study are as follows.
1. The general characteristics of the subjects were 146 women(89.6%), with an average of 33.01±8.21 years. The marriage condition was 98(60.1%), no religion, 101(62.0%), and the final educational background was 135(82.8%) with a four-year college graduation. The total clinical workouts were 56(34.4%) for less than 5 years, and the current department was the most common in general wards, with 105(64.4%), and 73(44.8) for less than 3 years in the current department. End-of-life nursing education was 83(50.9%) who did not receive, and 102(62.6%) who experienced the death of a meaningful person.
2. The subjects' well-dying awareness averaged 3.47±0.52 points out of 5, and their nursing professionalism averaged 3.54±0.46 points out of 5. The subjects' attitude toward end-of-life care averaged 2.99±0.34 points out of 4.
3. Perception of well-dying according to the subject's general characteristics was age(F=9.11, p=.001), marital status(t=2.77, p=.003), total clinical work experience(F=7.25, p=.001), there was a statistically significant difference depending on the presence or absence of end-of-life nursing education(t=5.93, p=.001), and significant human death experience(t=2.91, p=.004). It was found that Nursing professionalism according to the general characteristics of the subject was age (F=4.51, p=.005), religion(t=1.87, p=.031), total clinical work experience(F=3.98, p=.009), and current Statistically significant results were observed depending on the department of work(F=7.28, p=.001), presence or absence of end-of-life care education(t=4.80, p=.001), and significant human death experience(t=3.61, p=.001). There was a difference. Subjects' end-of-life care attitudes according to general characteristics were age(F=5.62, p=.001), marital status(t=2.68, p=.008), total clinical work experience(F=3.90, p=.010), There was a statistically significant difference depending on the presence or absence of end-of-life nursing education (t=7.70, p=.001) and significant human death experience(t=4.50, p=.001).
4. The subject's attitude toward end-of-life care showed a statistically significant positive correlation with well-dying awareness(r=.558, p<.001) and nursing professional intuition (r=.440, p<.001).
5. Factors that influence the subject's attitude toward end-of-life care include awareness of well-dying(β=0.558, p<.001), presence of end-of-life care education among general characteristics(β=0.344, p<.001), and meaningful human death experience(β=0.201, p=.001), marital status(β=0.120, p=.047). The total explanatory power of these variables on attitudes towards end-of-life care was 44.7%.
Considering the above research results, it was found that general hospital nurses' awareness of well-dying, presence or absence of end-of-life care education, meaningful experience of someone's death, and marital status influence attitudes towards end-of-life care. Therefore, in order to improve the end-of-life nursing attitude of general hospital nurses, it is considered necessary to provide systematic and continuous education to nurses along with the development of an end-of-life nursing education program. At the same time, measures should be sought to increase the participation rate in end-of-life nursing education among general hospital nurses.