Modeling Study of Development of Dying Well Education Program for the Medical Personnel in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the status of medical staff stress and accommodating manners on the death of patients in a hospital setting for serving the basic information to develop a death education program of medical personnel from April 1 to April 30, 2014. A survey was performed on 353 medical personnel at K university hospital, located in Daejeon metropolitan city. Frequency analysis, chi-square test, and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. The results showed that 'to understand the value of the time and preparedness of a meaningful future' were the most important perspectives on the contents of death education (p<0.05), 'in order to change perceptions and attitudes toward death positively' was the most important reason why they required death education'(p<0.05), 'case-based teaching and problem-based learning' was the most effective way of death education (p<0.05), 'negative or hostile response of a patient's guardian to medical personnel' was the largest stress that medical personnel confront upon witnessing a death '(p<0.05). An understanding of the death of patients by medical personnel and an awareness of the need for death education will help improve the understanding of the patient, their guardian, and medical personnel themselves. The main findings will contribute to the development of a specific death education program on the medical personnel in a hospital setting.

Funeral Experience in South Korea: A Phenomenological Study

“…Education of practicing health care providers is important and should include respect for traditional death rituals, sacred space, and religious and cultural concerns that comfort the family and demonstrate respect for the deceased. For instance, fundamental elements of death education need to include understanding the meaning of death among Koreans, death and the religious afterlife, the acceptance of death affirmatively, ethical issues related to the process of dying, and decisions on what to leave behind (Kim et al, 2014).…”