Attitudes toward care of the terminally ill: An educational intervention

Abstract

This quasiexperimental study examined the effect of an educational program on attitudes toward caring for terminally ill persons and their families. Participants were 115 undergraduate students: intervention group, N = 49; control group, N = 66. Preand post-intervention measurements were done with the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD, Form B). Students in the intervention group participated in a semester-long (15-week, 45-hour) educational program. Demographic variables, including age, gender, religion, major area of study, influence of religious beliefs, profession, previous education, and past or present experience with loss were evaluated. Statistical analyses (t-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and APVs) indicated a significant positive change in the attitude scores of the intervention group and no significant change in the attitude scores of the control group.