The Meaning of Death for Nursing Students and Their Attitudes Toward Dignified Death Principles

This study aims to determine the meaning of death for nursing students and their attitudes toward dignified death principles. The descriptive study was conducted with nursing students studying at a state university in Turkey. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Personal Meanings of Death Scale (PMDS), and the Assessment Scale of Attitudes toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity (ASAPDD). A positive and low-level significant relationship was determined between the students' age and the scores for the PMDS subdimensions and the ASAPDD. It was found that the students had positive perceptions of death and adopted the principles of a dignified death. It was determined that an increase in the students' perceptions of death positively affected their adoption of the principles of a dignified death.