Exploring the attitudes of health science students in Spain and Bolivia towards death. A cross sectional survey

Abstract

Background: One of the most difficult and stressful tasks faced by health science students is having to cope with death and dying due to the emotional burden of the same. Furthermore, the moral, ethical and professional values of future health professionals are influenced by the cultures where they live. Purpose: This study sought to compare and analyze the perception on end of life among a sample of health science students in Spain and Bolivia. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional and multi-centric study. The total sample (548 students) was comprised of three groups: medical, nursing and physiotherapy students, of whom 245 were from Bolivia, and 303 were Spanish students. The measurement instruments used were the Bugen's Coping with Death Scale and the Death Self-Efficacy Scale by Robbins. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between Spanish and Bolivian students (t (546) = − 0.248, p = 0.804) using the Bugen scale. This implies that there are no differences between the perception of both groups of students and that both groups use similar strategies to cope with death. Additionally, the beliefs and attitudes of both groups were similar, with Bolivian students presenting a trend towards improved scores. No differences were found between Spain and Bolivia in the results obtained on the Robbins scale, with students from both countries displaying similar skills and capabilities for facing death. Conclusions: The beliefs on death of health science students from Spain and Bolivia were not affected by the respective cultures, type of degree studied, students' age, or the country of origin, however, we found that students in Bolivia value death as something more natural than their Spanish counterparts. Practice implications: To appropriately prepare students for this topic, education on coping with death and dying must be included within the university curriculum. Trial registration: 2016DEC018.

Are we teaching health science students in the United States what they need to know about death and dying coping strategies?

“…Perez-de la Cruz and Ramirez [ 7 ] discovered the importance of emotional connection and sensitivity training for health science students. In their research of 548 health science students from diverse professional programs, 82.7% of those surveyed understood that the death and dying process would be frequently seen within their profession.…”

“…However, 40.4% of those surveyed did not feel they were adequately prepared to cope with the emotional and behavioral effects associated with the death and dying process upon entering their field of practice. Those who did feel prepared for delivering end-of-life care reported that learning about the need for compassion and sensitivity to those experiencing death was the most profound training they received [ 7 ]. One aspect that stood out in the study of Perez-de la Cruz and Ramirez [ 7 ] was not the method utilized to teach the students, but more the content that was taught.…”

“…Those who did feel prepared for delivering end-of-life care reported that learning about the need for compassion and sensitivity to those experiencing death was the most profound training they received [ 7 ]. One aspect that stood out in the study of Perez-de la Cruz and Ramirez [ 7 ] was not the method utilized to teach the students, but more the content that was taught. The researchers found it to be more beneficial to implement training modules that focused on appropriate responses and sensitivity to human suffering than on the technical and scientific aspects of death [ 7 ].…”

“…One aspect that stood out in the study of Perez-de la Cruz and Ramirez [ 7 ] was not the method utilized to teach the students, but more the content that was taught. The researchers found it to be more beneficial to implement training modules that focused on appropriate responses and sensitivity to human suffering than on the technical and scientific aspects of death [ 7 ].…”

Perceived Competence in the Face of Death before and after Nursing Studies: An Intrasubject Longitudinal Study

“…Even though the study of Perceived Competence in the face of death is becoming more topical and relevant [8][9][10][11][12] as well as the fact that awareness is growing regarding the urgency of its study in Nursing degree programs in which the presence of the subject of death and bereavement is key, the number of research studies and, therefore, their methodological variety is still not sufficiently wide to provide robustness of the results. The nursing student must be prepared to face situations related to palliative care and the end of life to respond adequately to these circumstances.…”