Korean nurses' attitudes to good and bad death, life-sustaining treatment and advance directives.
This study was an investigation of which distinctive elements would best describe good and bad death, preferences for life-sustaining treatment, and advance directives. The following elements of a good death were identified by surveying 185 acute-care hospital nurses: comfort, not being a burden to the family, a good relationship with family members, a readiness to die, and a belief in perpetuity. Comfort was regarded as the most important. Distinctive elements of a bad death were: persistent vegetative state, sudden death, pain and agony, dying alone, and being a burden to the family. Of the 185 respondents, 90.8% answered that they did not intend to receive life-sustaining treatment if they suffered from a terminal illness without any chance of recovery; 77.8% revealed positive attitudes toward advance directives. Sixty-seven per cent of the respondents stated that they were willing to discuss their own death and dying; the perception of such discussions differed according to the medical condition (p = 0.001). The elements of a bad death differed significantly depending on the disease state (p = 0.003) and on economic status (p = 0.023).
Kim
Shinmi
S
Department of Nursing, Woosuk University, Chonbuk, South Korea. skim@woosuk.ac.kr
Lee
Yunjung
Y
D000328:Adult; D016223:Advance Directives / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002755:Choice Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards