Date Approved
10-18-2011
Graduate Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Nursing (D.N.P.)
Degree Program
College of Nursing
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine how demographics; bereavement education; personal death anxiety; and frequency of interaction with death and dying; impact the level of comfort pediatric nurses have in approaching families of dying children. Watson’s Theory of Human Caring (n.d.) and the Quality Caring Model (Duffy & Hoskins, 2003) provide the theoretical framework for nursing actions and outcomes. The convenience sample of 165 pediatric nurses comes from a metropolitan children’s hospital population of 425 pediatric nurses. Nurses are recruited by a mass e-mail to their work e-mails with a link to the online survey. Nurses’ comfort level in approaching families of dying children is positively related to pediatric nursing experience; bereavement and emotionally charged communication education; choosing to interact with families of dying children; and frequency of interactions. Comfort level was not associated with total DAS score.
ScholarWorks Citation
Cook, Elizabeth J., "Pediatric Nurses' Death Anxiety and Level of Comfort in Approaching Families of Dying Children" (2011). Masters Theses. 10.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/10
