The Relationship Between Palliative Care Knowledge Level and Death Perception Among Final-Semester Nursing Students
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationship between the level of palliative care knowledge and death perception among final-semester nursing students.
Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out between 15 June and 30 June 2023 with final-semester nursing students at Dicle University (N=130). Data collection tools included a personal information form, the Palliative Care Knowledge Test, and the Death Perception Scale. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) were employed for data analysis. Pearson’s correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationships between the scales, while Student’s t-test and ANOVA were utilized to compare scale scores based on demographic variables. The internal consistency of the scales was analyzed utilizing Cronbach’s α coefficient. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Of the participants, 40.8% perceived death as an end, whereas 20.8% perceived it as a beginning. Moreover, 80.8% reported having seen a dying person, 37.6% had provided care to a dying individual, and 72.8% had worked in an intensive care unit (ICU). It was found that students who had worked in an ICU had significantly higher levels of palliative care knowledge compared to those who had not (t=1.98; p=0.04). However, working in an ICU did not appear to influence death perception (t=-1.28; p=0.20).
Conclusion: This study revealed that nursing students who had experience in ICU settings demonstrated a higher level of palliative care knowledge, but this experience did not alter their perception of death. In this context, integrating palliative care education into nursing curricula is recommended.
Keywords
Ethical Statement
Approval for the study was obtained from the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Dicle University Faculty of Medicine on June 14, 2023 (Approval No: 213). Additionally, permissions were obtained from the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Dicle University, the authors who conducted the validity and reliability studies of the scales, and the students who participated in this study, both verbally and in writing.
Supporting Institution
none
Project Number
none
Thanks
none
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Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Health Care Administration |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | none |
| Early Pub Date | September 9, 2025 |
| Publication Date | September 15, 2025 |
| Submission Date | February 13, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | June 10, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 16 Issue: Erken Çevrimiçi Yayınlar |