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. 2025 Jun 21:19:26323524251348498.
doi: 10.1177/26323524251348498. eCollection 2025.

Nurses' attitudes toward death in Oman: Prevalence and correlates in a nationwide sample

Eilean Rathinasamy Lazarus  1 , Joshua K Muliira  1 , Omar Al Zaabi  1 , Murtadha K Al-Khabori  2 , Mudhar Mohammed Al Adawi  3 , Qasim Al Mamari  4
Affiliations

Nurses' attitudes toward death in Oman: Prevalence and correlates in a nationwide sample

Eilean Rathinasamy Lazarus et al. Palliat Care Soc Pract. .

Abstract

Background: Death is an unavoidable feature of the human experience, and nurses play a critical role in caring for patients at the end of life. Nurses' attitudes toward death reflect their individual feelings toward death but may affect the quality of care provided at the end of life.

Objectives: To explore the nurses' attitudes toward death and the factors that may affect the quality of end-of-life care delivery in Oman among patients cared for in tertiary hospitals.

Design: A cross-sectional study design.

Methods: The study explored the nurses' attitudes toward death in Oman through a nationwide survey of the major governmental hospitals in Oman. The Death Attitude Profile-Revised scale was adopted to collect data from 1469 nurses working in tertiary hospitals using simple random sampling and population proportionate sampling methods.

Results: The nurses in Oman were Omani (46.8%) or Indian (43.7%) and had a bachelor's degree in nursing education (54.5%), with a mean age and clinical experience being 35 and 11 years, respectively. The mean scores showed that they had slightly more positive (4.78 ± 0.92) than negative (4.30 ± 0.94) attitudes toward death. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore correlates of negative and positive death attitudes. The negative death attitudes were significantly associated with nationality (β = -1.25, p = 0.007), clinical experience (β = 0.94, p = 0.012), and self-rated spirituality (β = 0.92, p = 0.043). The positive death attitudes were significantly associated with nationality (β = 2.40, p = 0.009), age (β = 3.71, p < 0.001), and clinical experience (β = 2.40, p = 0.004).

Conclusion: The current study shows that nurses in Oman have slightly more positive than negative attitudes toward death. The positive death attitudes were significantly associated with increasing age among nurses and their clinical experience. The negative attitudes were significantly associated with increasing age and self-rated spirituality.

Keywords: Oman; attitudes to death; cross-sectional studies; hospice and palliative nursing; palliative care; prevalence.

Plain language summary

Nurses’ attitudes towards death in Oman: Prevalence and correlates in a nationwide sample This research explores how nurses in Oman perceive death and how these perceptions influence the care they provide to patients at the end of life. Understanding nurses’ attitudes toward death is crucial, as it directly impacts the quality of care given to patients and their families during difficult times. We conducted a nationwide survey involving 1,469 nurses working in major hospitals across Oman, utilizing the Death Attitude Profile–Revised to assess their attitudes. The findings revealed that a majority of nurses (approximately 48%) held slightly positive attitudes toward death, while about 43% had negative views. Notably, older nurses and those with more clinical experience tended to have more positive perspectives, whereas negative attitudes were associated with factors such as nationality and personal beliefs about spirituality. These results underscore the importance of providing support and training for nurses to help them navigate their feelings about death, ultimately enhancing the quality of end-of-life care for patients and their families.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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