Abstract
Coping patterns that affect the personal development of nurses after experiencing the death of a patient that result in strong negative emotions was investigated. Nurses (n = 181) with 3 to 6 years of clinical experience participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire comprised of items from Finding Benefits Scales (FBS) and Scale for Coping with Bereavement (SCB). A cluster analysis of the SCB scores identified 4 clusters: active coping group, middle group, distraction group, and passive coping group. The total FBS score was highest in the active coping group > middle group > distraction group > passive coping group, decreased in that order. Active coping group had significantly higher FBS scores than the passive coping group. These results suggest that to advance the personal development of nurses after experiencing the death of a patient, it is important to create a workplace environment that supports nurses to develop active coping.
