OBJECTIVE: To explore changes and underlying reasons for death anxiety, sense of meaning in life, and the willingness to donate a body before and after anatomy courses.
METHODS: An explanatory sequential explanatory mixed-methods study.
METHODS: A total of 60 students completed quantitative surveys and 16 students from the sub-samples of the quantitative stage were included in the qualitative interviews. All students were from a comprehensive university in Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
METHODS: Data were collected from September 2022 to April 2023, including two rounds of questionnaire surveys and one interview. The questionnaires included sociodemographic data, the Death Anxiety Scale (CT-DAS), the Meaning of Life Scale (MLQ), and a body donation willingness question. Interviews were conducted based on the research objectives. The statistical methods included descriptive statistics, z-tests, and thematic analysis.
RESULTS: Quantitative results showed a decrease in emotional dimension of death anxiety (z = -2.534, P < 0.05) and an increase in body donation willingness (z = -3.183, P < 0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed cognitive experience and value assessment may relate to the changes. Based on the two themes, the reduction of death anxiety in emotional dimension can be further attributed to four factors: demystification, instrumentalization, desensitization, and respect and gratitude towards donors. The increase in willingness to donate bodies can be further attributed to two aspects: increase in knowledge of body donation and the affirmation of the value of donation.
CONCLUSIONS: The study found that students experience a decrease in death anxiety in the emotional dimension and an increased inclination to donate their bodies after anatomy courses, which may be related to cognitive experience and value assessment. Future nursing anatomy education could delve deeper into these two perspectives and support students to positively cope with death anxiety and rethink body donation through enriching death education activities such as donor memorial ceremonies. These results provide a basis for designing anatomy courses and improving the psychological well-being and professional competence of nursing students.
目的:探讨死亡焦虑的变化及其根本原因,生活中的意义,以及在解剖学课程之前和之后捐赠尸体的意愿。
方法:一项解释性序贯解释性混合方法研究。
方法:共有60名学生完成了定量调查,16名来自定量阶段子样本的学生被纳入定性访谈。所有学生都来自长沙一所综合性大学,湖南省,中国。
方法:数据收集时间为2022年9月至2023年4月,包括两轮问卷调查和一次访谈。问卷包括社会人口统计数据,死亡焦虑量表(CT-DAS),生命意义量表(MLQ),还有一个遗体捐献意愿的问题.根据研究目标进行访谈。统计方法包括描述性统计,z-tests,和专题分析。
结果:定量结果显示死亡焦虑情绪维度降低(z=-2.534,P<0.05),遗体捐献意愿增加(z=-3.183,P<0.05)。定性分析揭示了认知体验和价值评估可能与变化有关。基于这两个主题,死亡焦虑在情感维度上的减少可以进一步归因于四个因素:去神秘化,工具化,脱敏,对捐助者的尊重和感激。遗体捐献意愿的提高可以进一步归结为两个方面:遗体捐献知识的增加和对捐献价值的肯定。
结论:研究发现,学生在情感方面的死亡焦虑减少,在解剖学课程结束后捐献身体的倾向增加,这可能与认知经验和价值评估有关。未来的护理解剖学教育可以更深入地研究这两种观点,并通过丰富的死亡教育活动,如捐赠者纪念仪式,支持学生积极应对死亡焦虑,重新思考身体捐赠。这些结果为设计解剖学课程,提高护生的心理健康和专业能力提供了依据。