Death coping ability, death attitude, and professional quality of life among geriatric nurses: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Wei Liu; Yu-Jie Su; Si-Jia Zhou; Wu-Hong Deng; Hong-Ying Hu; Qing Cui; An-Shuai Fang; Yue-Ming Peng; Wei-Xiang Luo

doi:10.1186/s12904-025-01754-x

BMC Palliative Care (Apr 2025)

Death coping ability, death attitude, and professional quality of life among geriatric nurses: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Wei Liu,
Yu-Jie Su,
Si-Jia Zhou,
Wu-Hong Deng,
Hong-Ying Hu,
Qing Cui,
An-Shuai Fang,
Yue-Ming Peng,
Wei-Xiang Luo

Affiliations

Wei Liu: Department of the Nursing, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Yu-Jie Su: Department of the Nursing, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Si-Jia Zhou: Department of the Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Wu-Hong Deng: Department of the Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Hong-Ying Hu: Department of the Nursing, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Qing Cui: Respiratory and Critical Care Unit, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
An-Shuai Fang: Respiratory and Critical Care Unit, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Yue-Ming Peng: Department of the Nursing, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)
Wei-Xiang Luo: Department of the Nursing, The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Jinan University, Southern University of Science and Technology)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-025-01754-x
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract Background and aim The ability of geriatric nurses to cope with death affects both their physical and mental health, as well as the quality of the hospice services they provide. The aim of this study was to investigate the death coping ability, death attitude, and professional quality of life of geriatric nurses, analyse the influencing factors of death coping ability, and explore the correlations among them. Design A multicentre cross-sectional study design was used and reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. Methods From October to November 2024, a convenience sampling method was used to survey 357 geriatric nurses from 9 hospitals in 8 provinces and cities, including Guangdong and Hubei, China, as the research subjects. The general information questionnaire, Coping With Death Scale (CDS), Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R), and Nurse Professional Quality of Life Scale were used for the investigation. Results The death coping ability score of the geriatric nurses was 135.23 ± 33.04 points, the total death attitude score was 96.65 ± 21.04 points, and the total raw professional quality of life score was 90.00 ± 11.91 points. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the death coping ability of geriatric nurses was positively correlated with death attitudes, negatively correlated with secondary trauma and occupational burnout, and positively correlated with compassion satisfaction. Regression analysis revealed that age, frequency of sharing experiences of caring for terminally ill patients with others, participation in death-related courses or training, attitude towards death, and professional quality of life were factors influencing geriatric nurses’ ability to cope with death (P < 0.05). Conclusion The death coping ability of geriatric nurses is moderate and is related to death attitude and professional quality of life. Nursing managers are encouraged to enhance death education or training for geriatric nurses to help them develop a positive attitude towards death, pay attention to the quality of professional life of geriatric nurses and improve their ability to cope with death.

Published in BMC Palliative Care

ISSN: 1472-684X (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Special situations and conditions
Website: http://bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com

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