Attitudes toward death: a survey of nursing students

The literature devoted to the topics of death and care of the dying is expanding rapidly. As nurses are inevitably involved in terminal illness, death and grief, their attitudes toward death and factors which affect these attitudes, are worthy of study. This report describes the results of a continuing two-year survey of one class of students in a baccalaureate nursing program. A questionnaire was used at the beginning and end of one academic year. Data were obtained regarding background experiences with death, involvement in the care of dying patients, and common ideas, concerns and feelings about death. Data from the second testing also included perceived changes in "positive" and "negative" attitudes toward death, and the relative effect on attitudes of various factors during the year. Suggestions are offered for curriculum development and research in the challenging area of death education in nursing.