Factors Influencing Coping with Death Competence Among Chinese Oncology Nurses: A National Cross-Sectional Study

To identify the factors affecting Chinese oncology nurses' competency in coping with death, and their relationship with death attitudes and educational needs.

A national cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using an online survey of Chinese oncology nurses. Data were collected using the Coping with Death, Death Attitude Profile-Revised, and Death Education Needs Scales. A Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships among the research variables. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing coping with death.

The total score of coping with death was 133.57±26.78, showing a moderate coping level among Chinese oncology nurses. The Pearson's correlation analysis showed that death attitude was significantly and positively correlated with coping with death competence, and there was a statistically significant positive relationship between coping with death competence and death education needs. Years of oncology care experience, bereavement experience, death attitude, and death education needs were identified as statistically significant factors influencing competency in coping with death. These factors explained 30.6% of the differences in coping with death.

This study found that oncology nurses in China exhibited moderate levels of death coping competence, which needs to be improved to provide higher-quality end-of-life care. Further, death attitude and education needs were important factors affecting participants' coping with death competence. Tailored death education programs and continuing education on death should be provided for oncology nurses, to encourage them to actively participate in death competence-related training and promote an attitude of natural acceptance of death and positive care for terminally ill patients. In the future, virtual reality technology could complete course implementation designs with immersive, conceptual, and interactive characteristics, to enhance the death-coping education program. Nurses with less experience in oncology care and bereavement should improve their competency in coping with death.