The influence of Moral Sensitivity, Knowledge of Advanced Directives, Good Death Perception on Nurses’ Attitudes toward the Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment in a General Hospital / 재활간호학회지

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study aimed to identify the influence of moral sensitivity, knowledge of advanced directives, good death perception on nurses’ attitudes toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WLST) in a general hospital. @*Methods@#189 nurses in a general hospital completed structured questionnaires including the Korean Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, Knowledge of Advanced Directives Questionnaire, Concept of Good Death Measure, and Attitudes toward WLST Questionnaire. Data were analyzed with independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression using SPSS/WIN 22.0 program. @*Results@#Nurses’ attitudes toward WLST was significantly affected by experience of life-sustaining treatment, moral sensitivity and knowledge of advanced directives. In hierarchical multiple regression, nursing experience of life sustaining treatment (β=.27, p<.001), moral sensitivity (β=.23, p=.001), and knowledge of advanced directives (β=.39, p<.001) determined the attitudes toward WLST. These factors explained 48% of the total variability in WLST in this sample. @*Conclusion@#For patients’ dignified death, it is necessary to develop and apply nursing interventions considering the influencing factors on nurse's attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment, and suggest follow-up research on nurse's behavior related to WLST.