The Influence of Spiritual Well-being and Resilience on Death Anxiety of Nurses

Description

Page: 346-348

Pranvi Singh and Alpana Vaidya (Department of Psychology, Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune, Maharashtra)

Death anxiety is a significant psychological challenge for nurses, as they frequently encounter end-of-life situations in their professional roles. This study aimed to examine the relationship between resilience, spiritual well-being, and death anxiety among nurses to determine whether these factors serve as protective mechanisms. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 61 licensed nurses, utilizing standardized tools such as the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB), and the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (DAS). The findings indicated no significant correlation between resilience and death anxiety, nor between spiritual well-being and death anxiety and contradicted prior assumptions that greater resilience and stronger spiritual well-being would mitigate death anxiety among healthcare professionals. Moreover, demographic factors, including years of experience and age, appeared to influence how nurses cope with death-related stress. Nurses with more professional experience tended to exhibit more adaptive coping mechanisms, whereas those with fewer years of experience reported higher levels of death anxiety, which suggests that exposure and practice may play a greater role in reducing death anxiety than individual personality traits like resilience or spiritual well-being. While this study provides valuable insights, it has limitations, including a small sample size and the reliance on self-reported measures, which may have influenced participant responses. Future research should incorporate larger and more diverse samples, employ mixed-method approaches, and explore additional psychological and workplace-related variables that may impact death anxiety. Additionally, healthcare institutions should focus on holistic support systems, including structured coping strategies, workplace interventions to better equip nurses in managing death-related stress.