Intensive Care Unit Nurses’ Perceptions of a Good Death and Influencing Factors

A good death is a process in which the individuals can manage factors related to death, such as knowing its cause and predicting when and where it will occur, allowing planning and preparation for the EOL. ICU nurses, who most frequently encounter death and are at the center of EOL care, are significantly affected in terms of their perceptions, attitudes, and quality of care regarding a good death. This study aimed to determine the levels of good death perception among ICU nurses and the factors influencing it. A descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 384 ICU nurses. Data were collected using the “Good Death Scale” and an online survey administered via snowball sampling. The mean Good Death Scale score for the nurses was 55.59 ± 7.78. Among the characteristics examined in nurses, only satisfaction with working in intensive care was associated with more positive perceptions of death. It was found that there was a low-level and significant correlation between good death perceptions and the fears of the nurses. The presence of a certain level of fear of death indicates that nurses develop defense mechanisms to maintain mental balance. The findings revealed that intensive care nurses held a positive view of a good death, seeing the dying process not merely as a clinical event but as a multidimensional psychosocial experience. It is recommended to provide psychosocial support for nurses, establish standardized procedures on death and grief management, and organize in-service training programs on these issues.