title: Caring for dying patients: attitude of nursing students and effects of education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Education about caring for dying patients could be effective in changing nursing students' attitude toward caring for dying patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to examine the nursing students' attitude toward caring for dying patients and effects of education on their attitude.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study enjoys a quasi-experimental method with using one-group pre-test/post-test design conducted in Bam in southeast of Iran. The attitude of nursing students was measured using Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale before and after an educational intervention. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 18 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 32 students, 30 participated in this study (response rate of 94%). Only 20% of the students reported previous experience of dying patients in their clinical courses. Students showed moderately negative to neutral attitudes toward caring for dying patients. Education has improved students' attitude significantly (mean score of FATCOD before study were 3.5 ± 0.43 and after intervention were 4.7 ± 0.33) (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational programs about death and caring for dying patients should be added to undergraduate nursing curricula. Further research recommended examining nursing students' knowledge about caring for dying patients and the effect of education on their knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Qazvin University of Medical Science, Qazvin, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rafiei
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Asra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nassehi
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansuor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Islamic Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Science, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Noormohammadi
keywords: Attitude; Educational program; End-of-life care; Muslim religion; Nursing students