| Summary |
This study investigated relationships between values held about meaning and purpose in life and levels of death anxiety in nurses. Two hypotheses were tested: nurses holding high values of purpose in life would hold lower levels of death anxiety, and nurses holding low values of purpose in life would hold higher levels of death anxiety. The sample was 232 junior and senior nursing student volunteers from two baccalaureate schools of nursing, one a large, state-supported university and the other a small, private, religious-oriented college. Subjects were administered Crumbaugh and Maholick's Purpose in Life Analysis was by: (1) chi-square to determine the number of subjects in high and low categories of purpose in life and death anxiety, and (2) analysis of variance of the scores of subjects to get a more precise measurement of values. Test and the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. Findings showed that the number of students who held a high purpose in life was not statistically significantly different from the number holding low death anxiety, nor was the number of students who held a low purpose in life statistically significantly different from the number holding high death anxiety. The hypotheses as stated were rejected. However, when analysis of variance of score values was conducted there were statistically significant differences in that students who scored high on purpose in life had lower death anxiety scores. Another finding was that levels of death and anxiety were statistically significantly higher among the students attending the small, private, religious-oriented college than the students attending the large, state-supported university. Further study of the relationships between purpose in life and death anxiety is needed in relation to some of the findings found in this investigation as well as other different factors since it seems obvious that death anxiety is a complex phenomena. Further study needs to use more refined and precise measurements that discriminate between value differences between purpose in life and death anxiety. |
