COVID-19 Pandemi Döneminde Klinik Uygulamaya Dönen Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinin Ölüm Kaygısı

Abstract

Aim: Diseases with high mortality rates such as COVID-19 increase the death anxiety level. This pandemic process has had an impact on the mental health of nursing students in terms of emotions and cognition such as fear of death and anxiety. The purpose of this present study was to determine the level of death anxiety among nursing students returning to clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with the students enrolled nursing department of a university between March and July 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic (n= 337). The data were collected using the students’ information form and the Death Anxiety Scale through an online survey. Results: The students had a low level of death anxiety. Nursing students’ age, gender, previous education about death, the state of infected with COVID-19, the state of afraid to be infected with COVID-19 and the afraid of caregiving for COVID-19 patients were found to be factors related to death anxiety. Conclusion: This study highlights that COVID-19 affected the death anxiety of nursing students and students need support and preventive strategies to care for dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic