Abstract: Objective: To investigate the status and the correlation between the attitude to death and death education of the palliative care specialist nurses. Methods: A total of 176 palliative care specialist nurses were recruited by convenience sampling. The general information, Chinese version of Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R) questionnaire and death education requirement scale were applied. Results: The average score of death attitude of specialist nurses in palliative care was natural acceptance (3.99±0.46), approach acceptance (3.03±0.45), fear of death (2.69±0.69), escape acceptance (2.61±0.71) and death avoidance (2.47±0.64). The total score of death education demand was (213.59±27.41). There was a positive correlation between the positive attitude towards death and the need for death education (r value ranged from 0.202 to 0.551, P<0.05). The natural acceptance was moderately positively correlated with the near death care, the loss and the sadness care (r value ranged from 0.520 to 0.551, P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between death escape and death education demand (r value ranged from -0.357 to -0.208, P<0.05). Conclusion: The death attitude of palliative nurses is positive, and the demand of death education is at a high level. Especially, the nurses who accept death naturally need higher education of dying care, loss and sadness. Educators should explore the localized education mode in China, and promote the effective implementation and promotion of death education.

Key words: specialist nurse; palliative care; death attitude; death education