Tactical reframing to reduce death anxiety in undergraduate nursing students

Abstract

The effectiveness of a death education program in reducing death anxiety in Australian undergraduate nursing students was examined. The experimental group (n = 97) participated in a death education program conducted over a 13-week period. The comparison group (n = 122) included undergraduate students at the same academic level who had enrolled in a health-science program of similar structure, design, and duration as the death education program. No subjects in the comparison group had previously participated in a death education program. All participants were pre- and post-tested using the revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. Post-test analysis indicated that the 13- week death education program was effective in decreasing death anxiety.