Perception of Death Anxiety Among Students Majoring in Emergency Medical Technology in Some Regions

일부지역 응급구조과 학생들의 죽음 불안 인식

Purpose : This study aims at analyzing perception of death anxiety among juniors and seniors majoring in emergency medical technology to provide data which can contribute to curricular design associated with death that meets characteristics of the students majoring in emergency medical technology as pre-service emergency medical technicians. Methods : This study was conducted with 210 students as juniors or seniors majoring in emergency medical technology at four colleges in some regions(Yeongnam district), finally using 177 copies for data processing. Data collection was carried out from April 11 through May 16, 2008, Analysis was performed using frequency analysis, t-test, and ANOVA. Statistical processing was implemented using an SPSS WIN 15.0 program. Results: 1. 83.6% of students majoring in emergency medical technology had no experience in getting learning about death. 58.7% were afraid of death 'because they would be sad to be separated from things they loved,' 2. The general degree of death anxiety measured in the four-point scale was 2.54(.33). 3. As for differences in death anxiety among students majoring in emergency medical technology by grades, seniors(2.64) showed a lower score for anxiety than juniors(2.74) in terms of 'anxiety about others' death.' 4. As for differences in death anxiety among students majoring in emergency medical technology by gender, female students(2.64) showed a higher degree of death anxiety than males students(2.44), Conclusion : It is necessary to develop education and programs associated with death anxiety in order to reduce fear and anxiety about death and accept one's own death in a positive way through patients in imminent death.