This article identifies defining attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept of death anxiety using Rodgers (2000) evolutionary method of concept analysis. The literature on death anxiety was systematically reviewed for the years 1980–2007. Articles were summarized and coded. Inductive data analyses resulted in defining attributes (emotion, cognitive, experiential, developmental, sociocultural shaping, and source of motivation), antecedents (stressful environments and the experience of unpredictable circumstances, diagnosis of a life-threatening illness or the experience of a life-threatening event, and experiences with death and dying), and consequences (adaptive and maladaptive presentations). Results are important because little systematic inquiry of death anxiety exists in nursing literature.

The purpose of the study was to examine relationships between death anxiety and quality of life (QOL) parameters of patients with cancer in the Iranian sociocultural context. A descriptive, correlational methodology was used. The sample included 330 patients. Demographics, health information, religious behaviors, death anxiety, and QOL data were collected. Overall death anxiety levels were moderate with satisfactory overall QOL. Death anxiety was predictive of lowered QOL. Female patients had lower QOL and higher death anxiety compared to men. Findings support that higher death anxiety negatively impacts QOL in an Iranian sample with cancer. Alleviation of existential concerns in vulnerable patients may palliate mental health distress associated with facing cancer and its challenging treatments.

Background: When curative treatments are no longer available for cancer patients, the aim of treatment is palliative. The emphasis of palliative care is on optimizing quality of life and provided support for patients nearing end of life. However, chemotherapy is often offered as a palliative therapy for patients with advanced cancer nearing death. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the state of the science relative to use of palliative chemotherapy and maintenance of quality of life in patients with advanced cancer who were at end of life. Materials and methods: Published research from January 2010 to December 2019 was reviewed using PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Proquest, ISI web of science, Science Direct, and Scopus databases. MeSH keywords including quality of life, health related quality of life, cancer chemotherapy, drug therapy, end of life care, palliative care, palliative therapy, and palliative treatment. Findings: 13 studies were evaluated based on inclusion criteria. Most of these studies identified that reduced quality of life was associated with receipt of palliative chemotherapy in patients with advanced cancer at the end of life. Conclusion: Studies have primarily been conducted in European and American countries. Cultural background of patients may impact quality of life at end of life. More research is needed in developing countries including Mideastern and Asian countries.

Background: The increasing number of older adults who are living alone poses challenges for maintaining their well-being, as they often need support with daily tasks, health care services, and social connections. However, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized health care and caregiving through their capacity to monitor health, provide medication and appointment reminders, and provide companionship to older adults. Nevertheless, the adaptability of these technologies for older adults is stymied by usability issues. This study explores how older adults use and adapt to AI technologies, highlighting both the persistent barriers and opportunities for potential enhancements. Objective: This study aimed to provide deeper insights into older adults’ engagement with technology and AI. The technologies currently used, potential technologies desired for daily life integration, personal technology concerns faced, and overall attitudes toward technology and AI are explored. Methods: Using mixed methods, participants (N=28) completed both a semistructured interview and surveys consisting of health and well-being measures. Participants then participated in a research team–facilitated interaction with an AI chatbot, Amazon Alexa. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, and surveys were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Results: Participants’ average age was 71 years (ranged from 65 years to 84 years). Most participants were familiar with technology use, especially using smartphones (26/28, 93%) and desktops and laptops (21/28, 75%). Participants rated appointment reminders (25/28, 89%), emergency assistance (22/28, 79%), and health monitoring (21/28, 75%). Participants rated appointment reminders (25/28, 89.3%), emergency assistance (22/28, 78.6%), and health monitoring (21/28, 75%) as the most desirable features of AI chatbots for adoption. Digital devices were commonly used for entertainment, health management, professional productivity, and social connectivity. Participants were most interested in integrating technology into their personal lives for scheduling reminders, chore assistance, and providing care to others. Challenges in using new technology included a commitment to learning new technologies, concerns about lack of privacy, and worries about future technology dependence. Overall, older adults’ attitudes coalesced into 3 orientations, which we label as technology adapters, technologically wary, and technology resisters. These results illustrate that not all older adults were resistant to technology and AI. Instead, older adults are aligned with categories on a spectrum between willing, hesitant but willing, and unwilling to use technology and AI. Researchers can use these findings by asking older adults about their orientation toward technology to facilitate the integration of new technologies with each person’s comfortability and preferences. Conclusions: To ensure that AI technologies effectively support older adults, it is essential to foster an ongoing dialogue among developers, older adults, families, and their caregivers, focusing on inclusive designs to meet older adults’ needs.

Death anxiety, a negative affective state that is incited by mortality salience, may be experienced by nurses and other health care workers who are exposed to sickness, trauma, and violence. This paper examines death anxiety and management strategies among health providers in different health settings across cultures. A literature review of the research published since 2000 in the English language was conducted using PubMed, Science direct, CINAHL, and PsychInfo databases. Death anxiety is commonly experienced and is associated with more negative attitudes about caring for dying patients and their families. Performing educational and psychological interventions to help nurses build strong coping strategies for managing death anxiety are recommended to offset negative consequences such as leaving positions, poor communication, and decrements in personal health and quality of life.