Personal death preparations of health professionals.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the relationship of demographics, personal experience with death, and professional death experience with self-reported personal death preparations of health care professionals. The sample (N=286) included emergency medical technicians, registered nurses, physicians, and a comparison group. The nurse and physician groups were selected from various specialties in which there were theoretically high or low incidences of death. The overall return rate was 66%/ The questionnaire, designed by the investigator, included closed and open-ended questions. The tangible death preparations were: wills, life insurance, organ donor cards, living will and funeral arrangements. The degree of preparation (from casual conversation to legal document) was investigated for property distribution, guardianship of children, and treatment if close to death, and body disposition. In open questions, respondents described what personal and professional experiences influenced them to make or not make personal preparation for death. There were categorized by their content. Given the magnitude of the number of variables, the study was complex. The statistically significant correlations ranged from .11 to .52, indicating that each factor contributed a small amount to and individual’s death preparation behavior. Among demographic factors, age was correlated to the highest degree, in a positive direction with the greatest number of preparations. There were significant differences among professional groups for some types of preparations. Among the personal experience variables, the total number of personal experience with death, from a variety of situations, was positively correlated with the greatest number of preparations. Professional experience with death was positively correlated with specific preparationsâ€"organ donor cards and discussion of treatment if one were close to death. Different styles of preparation were revealed: objective, tangible preparations, such as getting life insurance or making a will and emotional, spiritual preparations, such as discussion preferences for treatment if one were close to death. Suggesting for further research, based on the importance of the implications for patient care and the personal lives of health professionals, were discussed.