Table 1.
Demographic and experiential characteristics of the nursing students.
| Students’ Characteristics | University of Catania N = 417 |
University of Messina N = 816 |
University of Palermo N = 680 |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 299 (71.7) | 609 (74.6) | 457 (67.2) |
| Male | 118 (28.3) | 207 (25.4) | 223 (32.8) |
| Age (years) | |||
| 18–21 | 202 (48.4) | 431 (52.8) | 398 (58.5) |
| 22–25 | 145 (34.8) | 248 (30.4) | 173 (25.4) |
| 26–30 | 49 (11.8) | 89 (10.9) | 57 (8.4) |
| >30 | 21 (5.0) | 48 (5.9) | 52 (7.6) |
| Year of Study | |||
| First | 153 (36.7) | 365 (44.7) | 258 (37.9) |
| Second | 134 (32.1) | 248 (30.4) | 254 (37.4) |
| Third or + | 130 (31.2) | 203 (24.9) | 168 (24.7) |
| PC Education | |||
| Compulsory theoretical training | 81 (19.42) | 429 (52.6) | 250 (36.8) |
| Optional training | 16 (3.8) | 160 (19.6) | 116 (17.1) |
| Practical training | 10 (2.4) | 14 (1.7) | 11 (1.6) |
| No | 310 (74.3) | 213 (26.1) | 303 (44.6) |
| Perceived degree of knowledge about pain management | |||
| Insufficient | 27 (6.5) | 73 (9) | 102 (15) |
| Good | 156 (37.4) | 309 (37.9) | 195 (28.7) |
| Moderate | 170 (6.5) | 282 (34.6) | 265 (39) |
| Sufficient | 49 (11.8) | 96 (11.8) | 93 (13.7) |
| Excellent | 15 (3.6) | 56 (6.9) | 25 (3.7) |
| Previous experience with dying individuals | |||
| Internship in PC | 15 (3.6) | 38 (4.7) | 16 (2.4) |
| Internship in other settings | 143 (34.3) | 90 (11.0) | 170 (25) |
| Personal experience | 76 (18.32) | 235 (28.8) | 158 (23.2) |
| Working experience | 10 (2.4) | 20 (2.5) | 17 (2.5) |
| No | 173 (41.5) | 433 (53.1) | 319 (46.9) |
| Previous bereavement experience | |||
| Yes | 348 (83.9) | 701 (85.9) | 568 (83.5) |
| No | 69 (16.5) | 115 (14.1) | 112 (16.5) |
| Current bereavement experience | |||
| No | 350 (83.9) | 685 (83.9) | 576 (84.7) |
| I am preparing for the death of a loved one | 14 (3.4) | 37 (4.5) | 24 (3.5) |
| I am grieving for a loved one who recently passed away | 53 (12.7) | 94 (11.5) | 80 (11.8) |
| Religion | |||
| Agnostic or atheist | 114 (27.3) | 143 (17.5) | 199 (29.3) |
| Catholic Christians | 286 (68.6) | 646 (79.2) | 458 (67.4) |
| Other (Muslim, Jewish, Protestant) | 17 (4.1) | 27 (3.3) | 23 (3.4) |