• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.46-55
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This pilot study aimed to examine the influence of death counseling on perceptions, preparedness, and anxiety regarding death and dying among family caregivers of hospice patients. Methods: Death counseling developed based on the SPIKES model was provided to 37 family caregivers in a hospice and palliative care unit. Perceptions, preparedness, and anxiety regarding death were assessed with a self-administered structured questionnaire, and participants' scores before and after counseling were compared using the paired t-test. Results: Significant changes were found in perceptions, preparedness, and anxiety regarding death after counseling. Compared to before counseling, the scores for perceptions of death (t=-4.90, P<0.001) and preparedness for death and dying (t=-16.23, P<0.001) improved, while anxiety (t=3.72, P=0.001) decreased after counseling. Some changes were also found in the types of support that family caregivers needed to prepare for the death of their family members in the hospice care unit. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that death counseling could help family caregivers prepare for the death of their loved ones. Hospice and palliative care providers should play a key role in supporting family caregivers of hospice patients by developing strategies for counseling.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.57-66
• /
• 2017

Purpose : The current study objective was to determine the attitudes of nursing students to death, perception of end-of life care, and perceptions of educational training needs in relation to the provision of end-of life care, and to apply the results to the development of an efficient and effective education program in this regard. Method : Data collection was carried out between March and April 2017, and was achieved through the administration of a questionnaire to 124 caregivers working in a nursing home in C. A self-report instrument was used to measure nursing attitudes to death, perceptions of end-of-life care, and perceptions of educational training needs in relation to the provision of end-of-life care. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS(R) Statistics for Windows(R)(version 21.0), and were calculated was whole numbers, percentages, $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : The average scores obtained were 2.85 out of a maximum of 4.00, 2.14 out of 4.00, and 2.42 out of 4.00, for attitudes to death, perceptions of end-of-life, and perceptions of educational training needs in relation to the provision of end-of-life care, respectively. A positive correlation was found between attitudes to death and perceptions of end-of-life care, and a negative correlation was found between perceptions of end-of-life care and educational training needs in relation to the provision of end-of-life care. Conclusion : The development and implementation of an educational program is necessary to ensure positive attitudes to death in nursing students and improve their perceptions about end-of-life care. Further research is also warranted to determine the impact of such a program in this regard.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.1-27
• /
• 2006

This study investigated kindergarten teachers' experience and perceptions of education about death concepts in kindergarten children. Twenty kindergarten teachers were interviewed for this qualitative study. Results were that most kindergarten teachers perceived the necessity of the practice of the education about death concepts for kindergarten children; most kindergarten teachers recognized that all kindergarten teachers need to have professional knowledge for the successful practice of education about death concepts for kindergarten children; most kindergarten teachers recognized that education about death concepts needs to be included in the early childhood education curriculum.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.114-125
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This descriptive study investigated the effects of nurses' knowledge of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, death anxiety, and perceptions of hospice care on their attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Methods: Data were collected from 262 nurses at tertiary hospitals, general hospitals, or primary hospitals in Busan, Korea, and statistically analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, the Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The participants' scores were 3.68±0.45 (out of 5) for attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, 0.65±0.15 (out of 1) for knowledge of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, 2.61±0.26 (out of 4) for death anxiety, and 4.06±0.43 (out of 5) for perceptions of hospice care. Furthermore, knowledge of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and perceptions of hospice care showed positive correlations with attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, while death anxiety showed a negative correlation. The most significant factors influencing attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment were perceptions of hospice care, followed by having experienced caring for patients who withdrew life-sustaining treatment, death anxiety, having a spouse, and ethical values, and the overall explanatory power was 43.0%. Conclusion: This study showed that perceptions of hospice were an important factor influencing nurses' attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and validate educational intervention programs that can improve perceptions of hospice care.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.15 no.12
• /
• pp.7148-7159
• /
• 2014

This study examined the relationship between the death perceptions and attitudes of the severely diseased persons in hospice facilities based on their general characteristics. The surveys were conducted from March 10 to July 31, 2013 on 149 patients at hospice facilities in ${\bigcirc}$ city, Gyeonggi-do. The data was analyzed by the SPSS WIN 18.0. First, positive death attitudes showed significant differences according to the patients' general characteristics (F=6.218, p<.001). Second, the patients' death attitudes by their death perceptions showed meaningful results (F=6.634, p<.001). Third, the death attitudes revealed a positive relation with hospice use (r=.496, p<.001). Overall, patients, who have positive death perceptions and attitudes, have high expectations for hospice use and these results support for welfare policies to encourage hospice use of severely diseased persons.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.241-256
• /
• 2009

This survey of children's perceptions and experiences of death was conducted with 118 6th-grade elementary school children in Seoul. Data consisted of responses to questionnaires in three categories : (1) perceptions of death, (2) views of afterlife, and (3) death-related experiences (life, education, and media). Results showed that children had negative emotions (61.8%) such as fear and anxiety about death. Children's attitudes about suicide were sympathetic (34.5%) as well as critical (53.7%). There was no relation between religion and view of afterlife. Finally, children experienced death more through mass media (TV, internet, etc.) than through life experience or death education. This study suggests the necessity for death education and warns of negative effects of media and games.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.38-47
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of perceptions of death, end-of-life (EOL) care stress, and emotional intelligence on attitudes toward EOL care among nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: The participants were 111 nurses working in a NICU who had experienced EOL care at least once. Data were analyzed using the t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression analysis in SPSS for Windows. Results: The mean score for perceptions of death was 3.16 out of 5, the mean score for EOL care stress was 3.61 out of 5, the mean emotional intelligence score was 4.66 out of 7, and the average score for EOL care attitudes was 2.77 out of 4. The factors affecting attitudes towards EOL care were academic degree, anxiety regarding death, negativity towards death, experiences of patient death, and emotional intelligence. The explanatory power of these variables for attitudes towards EOL care was 24.7%. Conclusion: The results of this study are expected to serve as a basic reference for the development of nursing education programs and EOL care protocols to improve attitudes toward EOL care among NICU nurses.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.172-182
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the relationships among attitudes towards death, perceptions of hospice care, and hospice care needs as perceived by family members of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This study used a descriptive correlational method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 114 participating families in the ICU at Dong-A University Hospital, from October 10 to November 1, 2019. The data were analyzed in terms of frequency, percentage, and mean and standard deviation. The t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients were also conducted. Results: Perceptions of hospice care showed significant differences according to age (F=3.06, P=0.031) and marital status (t=3.55, P=0.001). However, no significant differences in attitudes towards death or hospice care needs were found. A significant positive correlation was found between perceptions of hospice care and hospice care needs (r=0.49, P<0.001). Conclusion: In order for families to recognize the need for hospice care and to receive high-quality palliative care at the appropriate time, it is necessary to increase public awareness of hospice care through various educational and awareness-raising efforts, thereby providing opportunities for families of terminally ill patients to request hospice care.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.11-20
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Advance directives (ADs) are legal documents that outline a person's preferences or decisions regarding end-of-life care ahead of time. In Korea, there is insufficient awareness and knowledge about ADs among patients undergoing hemodialysis. This study explored the relationship between perceptions of a good death, knowledge about ADs, and attitudes toward ADs in this patient population. Methods: This cross-sectional survey enrolled 119 hemodialysis patients from a secondary hospital in 2021. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, and the data were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, Spearman rank correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The average score for perceptions of a good death among hemodialysis patients was 2.80 out of 4, with clinical symptoms identified as the most critical factor. The average scores for knowledge about ADs and attitudes toward ADs were 5.69 out of 9 and 2.79 out of 4, respectively. There was a positive correlation between perceptions of a good death and attitudes toward ADs (r=0.34, P<0.001), as well as between knowledge about Ads and attitudes toward ADs (r=0.19, P=0.037). Factors influencing attitudes toward Ads included employment status (β=0.22, P=0.011), education level (β=0.22, P=0.013), and perceptions of a good death (β=0.29, P=0.001), which accounted for 24.8% of the variance in attitudes toward ADs. Conclusion: A positive perception of a good death among patients undergoing hemodialysis was associated with a positive attitude toward ADs. Educational programs are needed to improve individuals' understanding of a good death and encourage the development of end-of-life care plans.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.39-49
• /
• 2019

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which intensive care unit (ICU) nurses' perceptions of life-sustaining treatment decisions and "a good death" affect attitudes toward terminal care. Method : Participants included 109 ICU nurses from three university hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and collected data were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, the $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and a multiple regression analysis (SPSS 24.0 program). Results : Perceptions of life-sustaining treatment decisions and a sense of closeness (a constituent for the awareness of "a good death") were positively correlated with terminal care attitudes. The factors affecting terminal care attitudes were a clinical career in ICU (${\beta}=.20$, p =.035), a sense of closeness(${\beta}=.19$, p =.041), and the perception of a life-sustaining treatment decision (${\beta}=.22$, p =.017). This finding indicates that more than 10 years of experience in ICU, a greater sense of closeness, and a higher view of life-sustaining treatment decisions results in more positive attitudes toward terminal care. The explanatory power of these variables on terminal care attitudes was 14% (F=6.84, p < .001, Adj $R^2=.140$). Conclusion : A sense of closeness and the perception of life-sustaining treatment decisions were identified as the factors affecting terminal care attitudes. Thus, various programs must be developed to raise awareness among ICU nurses of "a good death" and perceptions of life-sustaining treatment decisions.