Death anxiety amongst nurses

The literature indicates an abundance of empirical evidence relating to nurses’ communications with and care of the dying patient and his family. Evidence is scant however pertaining to the concept of death anxiety, how nurses cope with death, and ultimately the impact nurses’ levels of death anxiety may have on their ability to prescribe and deliver palliative nursing care. This discussion paper explores the concept of death anxiety, coping strategies nurses adopt in the attempt to ameliorate or reduce the threat of this complex emotional response and the role of nurse education in the preparation of nurses to effectively deliver quality care and professional support in the event of death related incidents within the health care setting.