Subjectivity of nursing students' attitudes toward the perception of death

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate and explain the structural types of nursing students' subjectivity of death by the use of Q Methodology in order to bring about their deep understanding of death. For Q-population of death for nursing students, in-depth interviews with four students of the department of nursing science located in D City, and literature research were conducted. As a result, 34 Q-samples were chosen. And 35 nursing students were set to P-samples. The analysis with PC-QUNAL program revealed that there were four types; type 1 (desire to predict death); type 2 (pursue peaceful death); type 3 (purse death in consideration of others); and type 4 (pursue death in acceptance of one's own existence). Based on the study results, it is necessary to conduct follow-up research to establish terminal care education program and strategy for nursing students according to the types of their perception of death. Also it is necessary to conduct more in-depth research on the method of evaluating the types of nursing students' perception of death.