ISSN 2756-3332
African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 7 (3), pp. 001-009, March, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
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*
1Education coordinator, King 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.
Accepted 10 October, 2018
Abstract
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.