Attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral intentions of nurses toward dying patients and their families.

This investigation aimed to develop and validate an instrument, "Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Behavioral Intentions of Nurses Toward the Care of Dying Patients and Their Families" (ASBID), and to examine the relationship among selected demographic variables, death anxiety, and social desirability response tendency on the behavioral intentions of nurses toward the dying. The Ajzen-Fishbein theory of reasoned action was used as the conceptual framework. Nursing behaviors toward the dying included in the ASBID were developed from interviews with bereaved family members. Three hundred seventy-two registered nurses caring for dying patients were used as the sample population for testing the ASBID. Internal consistency reliability coefficients for the ASBID achieved satisfactory standards. Factor analysis suggested three factors were being measured: general acute care measures for the dying, open communication with the dying, and continuing care for bereaved family members. Results supported the Ajzen-Fishbein theory that attitudes and subjective norms were major determinants of intentions. Findings indicate that educational programs planned to influence nursing care of the dying should focus on the consequences of specific behaviors of nurses rather than on death anxiety in nurses, and they should include nursing supervisors as well as nurses providing direct care for the dying.