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KMID : 1025620170200030276
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Korean Journal of Medical Ethics
2017 Volume.20 No. 3 p.276 ~ p.286
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Comparison of the Death Anxiety and Preferences for Care Near the End of Life between Nurses and Physicians
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Cho Kyoung-Hee
Park Yong-Kyung
Suh Soon-Rim
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Abstract
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The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes toward death anxiety and preferences for care near the end of life between nurses and physicians. Data were collected from 225 employees (150 nurses, 75 physicians) working in a tertiary hospital in South Korea. The study found a higher presence of death anxiety in nurses than physicians. Within the category of death anxiety, the “dying of others” was highest in nurses, whereas the “death of others” was highest in physicians. Among the five dimensions of the preferred care near the end of life, “pain” was the most preferred dimension while “decision-making by health care professionals” was the least preferred dimension for both nurses and physicians. Physicians preferred autonomous decision-making and decision-making by healthcare professionals; nurses preferred pain and spirituality. The results show that adequate pain relief is the most preferred care at the end of life for both nurses and physicians. This study indicates that nurses and physicians consider patient autonomy, pain control, and spirituality as important factors in end-of-life care. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that educational intervention programs are needed to reduce the death anxiety of nurses and physicians and thereby improve their terminal care performance.
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KEYWORD
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death, anxiety, terminal care, patient preference, nurses, physicians
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