Exploring Death Anxiety and Burnout Among Staff Members Who Work In Outpatient Hemodialysis Units

Outpatient hemodialysis unit staff members are at risk for psychological stress, including death anxiety, unresolved grieving, and burnout, due tofrequent interactions with chronically ill patients who have a high mortality rate. Experiencing death anxiety and burnout may impair the ability to build interpersonal relationships, decrease job satisfaction, and impact quality of patient care. A quantitative study to evaluate the effect of educational classes on the level of death anxiety and burnout among hemodialysis caregivers revealed a decrease in participants' level of death anxiety and a decrease in emotional exhaustion in one area that was directly related to the work environment Information from the study can be used to decrease psychological stress through education and support for staff members who work in the hemodialysis unit environment.