Death anxiety in nurses working in critical care units of AJA hospitals

Death anxiety can cause tension for people. It exists in some jobs like nursing continuously and has undesirable impacts like job dissatisfaction, psychological disorders and in patient insufficient care. The aim of this study was to determine death anxiety in nurses working in critical care units and related factors. This research is a descriptive - correlation study in which 100 nurses (working in critical care units) from teaching hospitals affiliated to AJA University of Medical Sciences were recruited by census sampling. Demographic information sheet and Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale were used to collect data. Then the data were analyzed using SPSS software. Mean score of death anxiety in nurses (7.55±2.1) calculated that 25% of death anxiety mild, 36% of death anxiety moderate and 39% death anxiety severe and the results was not showed significantly correlated between mean death anxiety and demographic variables.Discussion and Death anxiety affects physical and emotional aspects of nurse’s life, thereby affecting process of caring. Results showed that death anxiety was higher in critical care nurses. So, they need special attention about death anxiety and its causes, and require institutional support to enable them for providing quality care for patients.