Critical Care Nurses' Attitude Towards Caring for Dying Patients and Its Relationship With Authenticity in Southeastern Iran: A Descriptive Correlational Study.

Background and Aims: End-of-life care in the ICU is essential to relieve suffering and maintain patient dignity during the final stages of life. The attitudes of critical care nurses toward caring for dying patients significantly influence the quality of care provided. Research suggests that higher levels of authenticity are associated with lower death anxiety. This study aimed to examine the relationship between attitudes towards caring for dying patients and its correlation with authenticity among intensive care unit nurses in southeastern Iran. However, this study was not able to determine a cause-and-effect relationship between these two variables. Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted in ICUs in Southeast Iran. The attitudes of 142 critical care nurses toward end-of-life care were measured using the Frommelt Attitude toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale, while their authenticity was assessed with the Kernis-Goldman Authenticity Inventory-Short Form (KGAI-SF). Results: Participants' mean age was 34.93 years, and they were mainly female (76.4%), and held a bachelor's degree (86.1%). The total mean score of nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying patients was 98.99 ± 10.59 out of 150, with the lowest scores associated with items reflecting direct exposure to and reminders of patient death. The total mean score of authenticity was 3.44 ± 0.37 out of 5. A significant positive correlation was identified between the total FATCOD score and the total KGAI-SF score (r = 0.50; p < 0.001; 95% CI [0.33, 0.61]) and all its subscales (p < 0.05). Conclusion: For cultivate authenticity, nurses should reflect on their thoughts and behaviors for greater self-awareness, which can be effectively promoted through mindfulness and meditation courses. Reflecting on their attitudes towards death and end-of-life care can also reveal unconscious beliefs affecting their behavior.