Examination of the Relationship Between Thanatophobia and Resilience Levels of Nurses Working in Intensive Care and Palliative Care Units

Abstract

Background: Nurses in critical care and palliative care units care for patients suffering from severe pain and suffering and at high mortality risk. For this reason, nurses working in these units should be psychologically resilient. However, nurses who are constantly exposed to the death process face the risk of thanatophobia. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between thanatophobia levels and the psychological resilience of nurses working in intensive care and palliative care units. Methods: The sample of this descriptive study included 158 nurses working in intensive care and palliative care units. Personal information form for nurses, Thanatophobia Scale and Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults were used and data were collected through an online questionnaire in the study. Percentage calculations, mean measurements, Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test were used in the statistical evaluation of the data. Results: Nurses had moderate mean scores from the Thanatophobia Scale and Psychological Resilience Scale, 31.74±10.08 and 108.34±7.12, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found between nurses’ age and whether they received training on psychological resilience (p<0.05). Those who received training on resilience had higher scores from the resilience scale subdimensions of personal competence and family coherence. A statistically negative and low-level significant correlation was determined between the psychological resilience scale and thanatophobia scale total scores. Conclusions: As a result, it was determined that as the thanatophobia of the nurses increased, their psychological resilience decreased. This situation may negatively affect nurses working in critical departments to provide quality health care to patients. Establishing and maintaining training programs to reduce thanatophobia and increase psychological resilience of nurses working in intensive care and palliative care units will ensure that nurses provide quality health care to the patient and reduce the physiological and psychological wear of nurses.