Influencing Factors on Death Acceptance Among Thai Older Persons.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate both the direct and indirect effects of various factors on the acceptance of death. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 800 older Buddhist persons in Thailand, who were recruited through a multistage sampling method. Data were collected using six questionnaires and analyzed through path analysis using the MPlus program. RESULTS: Death anxiety was the main factor influencing death acceptance, with death anxiety exerting a negative direct effect on death acceptance. Buddhist beliefs about death demonstrated both a positive direct effect on death acceptance and a positive indirect effect on death acceptance through Buddhist practices. Furthermore, Buddhist practices exhibited a positive direct effect on death acceptance, while social support also showed a positive direct effect on death acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant direct and indirect effects on death acceptance among older Thai Buddhists. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Buddhist-aligned interventions may be more effective and readily embraced by Thai older persons. For those who are receptive, nurses can foster death acceptance by developing interventions that reduce death anxiety and promote Buddhist beliefs about death, Buddhist practices, and social support.

Describing Death Acceptance Among Thai Buddhists With Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Death acceptance (DA) is perceived in culturally specific ways. The purposes of this study were to describe DA among Thai Buddhists with cancer and to compare DA differences in demographic data. METHODOLOGY: This research was a secondary data analysis. The participants were 363 Thai Buddhists with cancer, recruited using multistage sampling method. Data were collected using the Buddhist Death Acceptance Scale, reliability coefficient. .82. Data were analyzed using T-Tests and Two-Way ANOVA. RESULTS: The participants had high levels of DA. Age and stage of cancer had main effects on DA. DISCUSSION: This study highlighted the significant demographic differences with regard to DA levels among Thai Buddhists with cancer. Interventions include determining the patient's DA level, or offering patients and their families advance care plans. Nurses can then explore DA with patients, particularly those with life-limiting illnesses to ease their patients' lives and foster a good death.

Evaluation of the integrated model of the rational drug use into the Bachelor of Nursing Science program in Thailand: A mixed-methods study.

Background: Integration of rational drug use (RDU) into a nursing program to increase nurse graduates' RDU competencies is essential to solving the problem of irrational drug use. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the integrated model of the RDU into the Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNS) program developed by the Thailand Nursing and Midwifery Council (TNMC). Methods: A mixed-methods study was designed using a sequential explanatory design. The whole population of 3,848 nurse educators and 9,249 nurse graduates from 86 nursing education institutions across Thailand in Academic Year 2018 were recruited for quantitative data collection. Fifty nurse educators selected as representatives of the nursing education institutions were recruited for qualitative data collection. Online questionnaires were sent to collect information regarding the context, input, process, and product relating to the model, while structured focus group guidelines were developed to obtain more details in assessing the model. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results: The findings showed that the context and policy of utilizing the model to increase nurse graduates' RDU competencies were well accepted. The nurse educators' RDU competencies, the input of the model, were rated at a high level. The process of the model was implemented as guided at almost all nursing education institutions. The product of the model, the RDU competencies of the nurse graduates, was reported at a high level. Conclusion: The model of integrating the RDU into the BNS program developed by the TNMC was well performed and resulted in high RDU competencies of the nurse graduates. This integration model should be published and applied in nursing schools worldwide to enhance RDU competencies of nurse graduates.