Comparison of the levels of death anxiety, trait anxiety and hopelessness of nurses working in units with high level of mortality and individuals who do not encounter death in their professions

Using a general screening model, this study aimed to uncover whether or not the frequency of encountering death in the workplace affects the death and trait anxiety scores and the hopelessness levels of the members of different professions. To achieve this objective, data were gathered from nurses (N=200, 100 adult intensive care and 100 oncology), working in units with high level of mortality, and teachers (N=70), bank employees (N=65) and academicians (N=70), who very rarely or never encounter death in their professions. Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale (TPÖKÖ), Spielberger's Trait Anxiety Inventory (SSKÖ), The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BUÖ) and a demographic information form (KBF) were the data collection tools utilised in the study. T-test, Mann-Whitney U Test, One-Way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis Test and Pearson Correlation were the statistical tests used for the analysis of the collected data. The findings of the themes showed that the death anxiety scores of nurses, who frequently encountered death in their professions, were significantly lower than the death anxiety scores of teachers, bank employees and academicians (p<0.05). The hopelessness scores of academicians, bank employees and teachers, on the other hand, were significantly lower than that of nurses (p<0.01) while there were no statistically significant differences among the compared groups when their trait anxiety levels were examined. Comparison of the results related to the two groups of nurses showed that the death anxiety scores of oncology nurses were significantly higher than the death anxiety scores of adult intensive care nurses (p<0.05). Scrutiny of the data related to trait anxiety and hopelessness levels, however, revealed no statistically significant differences. When the effect of the variable "level of education" was examined, it was found that it did not affect the death and trait anxiety scores or levels of hopelessness in academicians bank employees and teachers. It did differentiate, however, the death anxiety scores of the informants in the two groups of nurses. The death anxiety scores of the nurses who graduated from medical vocational high schools were significantly higher than the death anxiety scores of nurses who had graduated from associate degree (2 yearlong programs) or Bachelor degree programs (p<0.05). In light of those results it is suggested that both during training and while actively in the profession, nurses should be provided, on regular basis, with psychological support and training on how to cope with the anxiety and stress brought on by the encountered deaths. It is also believed that a rotation system allowing nurses to change the units they are work in would be beneficial. Scrutiny of the relationship between death anxiety, trait anxiety and level of hopelessness revealed a moderate positive correlation between trait anxiety and the level of hopelessness (r =0,459, p<0.01). Statistical analysis examining the effect of variables such as age, marital status, work experience/professional seniority, serious health problems and loss of a relative or a close friend did not reveal a statistically significant effect either on death and trait anxiety scores or on the levels of hopelessness. Key Words: Death, Anxiety, Hopelessness, Death Anxiety, Trait Anxiety