Correlates of Death Anxiety in Nurses who Provide Aids Care

Abstract

Within Martha E. Rogers' framework of the science of unitary human beings [1–3], a descriptive, correlational study was done to examine the relationships among spirituality, perceived social support, and death anxiety in nurses who provide AIDS care. Death anxiety was also examined as a predictor of nurses' willingness to care for AIDS patients. A convenience sample of 220 female RNs who provided AIDS care completed the Templer Death Anxiety Scale, the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, the Personal Resource Questionnaire-85, and the Willingness to Care for AIDS Patients Instrument. Multiple regression analyses indicated that death anxiety was significantly correlated with spirituality and nurses' willingness to care for patients with AIDS, yet no significant relationship was found between death anxiety and perceived social support. Analyses further revealed that despite high levels of death anxiety, the majority of nurses had a positive perception of death. Several personal, professional, and employment characteristics were associated with death anxiety in nurses who provide AIDS care. Methodological implications are discussed.