Attitudes of Oncology Nurses Towards Care of Dying Patients and the Principles of Dying with Dignity and Their Views on Good Death

Abstract

This study investigated oncology nurses’ attitudes toward caring for dying patients, their principles of dying with dignity, and their views on good death. This descriptive study included 257 oncology nurses working at two university hospitals, an educational research hospital and a state hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using the descriptive characteristics information form, the Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying scale, the Assessment Scale of Attitudes toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity, and the Good Death Scale. The nurses obtained mean scores of 99.53 ± 7.76 on the Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying scale, 26.84 ± 12.45 on the Assessment Scale of Attitudes toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity, and 57.23 ± 7.48 on the Good Death Scale. The nurses’ personal and professional characteristics influenced their attitudes toward caring for dying patients, the principles of dying with dignity, and their views on good death.