Correlation between death-coping self-efficacy and personality traits of intensive care unit nurses: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between different personality traits and death-coping self-efficacy of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.

Methods: A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed, and 301 valid questionnaires were finally collected. The research tools included a general information questionnaire and a death-coping self-efficacy questionnaire to collect nurses' demographic information.

Results: The overall score of ICU nurses' death-coping self-efficacy was 98.52 ± 18.18, of which the hospice care dimension had the highest score (44.70 ± 8.25) and the grief coping dimension had the lowest score (28.21 ± 6.76). Personality traits of conscientiousness (p < 0.001), agreeableness (p < 0.001) and openness (p < 0.001) were significantly positively correlated with death-coping self-efficacy, whereas neuroticism was significantly negatively correlated with it (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that whether or not they had participated in palliative care education courses within 1 year (p = 0.022), the experience of accompanying the death of a family member (p < 0.001), their attitude towards death (p < 0.001), as well as rigour (p = 0.002), agreeableness (p < 0.001) and openness (p < 0.001) were important influencing factors of death-coping self-efficacy, with a model determination coefficient R² of 0.373 and an adjusted R² of 0.364.

Conclusion: The self-efficacy of ICU nurses in coping with death is at a moderate to high level, and different personality traits have a significant impact on their self-efficacy in coping with death. High conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness personality traits help to improve self-efficacy in coping with death, whereas high neuroticism may reduce it.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.