Spiritual well-being and attitudes toward caring for dying patients: a cross-sectional study in Iranian nursing students

Background The concept of death is one of the most significant issues in the nursing profession. To provide effective and comprehensive end-of-life care, nursing students, as future nurses, should have spiritual well-being (SWB) and a proper attitude toward the care of dying patients (ATCODP). The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the level of SWB and ATCODP of Iranian nursing students in 2019. Methods This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 139 nursing students at Bam University of Medical Sciences who were selected by the census method. To collect data, a three-part questionnaire consisting of personal information, the Paloutzian & Ellison SWB scale, and the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale were used. The data were analyzed by IBM SPSS version 20. Results The mean age of the participants was 21.63 +/- 3.23 years. The mean score of SWB in 98 (70.5%) nursing students was moderate, and 41 of them (29.5%) had a high score. The correlation coefficient between religious and existential health with a total score of SWB was 88% and 86%, respectively. According to Pearson's test, a significant relationship was observed between ATCODP, SWB, and its dimensions (P < 0.05). Conclusion A significant relationship was observed between ATCODP, SWB, and its dimensions. Considering that most nursing students have a moderate level of spiritual well-being, measures should be taken to improve it during their studies. Because improving SWB in students will prepare future nurses for better quality care of dying patients and enhance their positive attitude toward death.