%0 Journal Article
%T Meaning in Life, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Care Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study of Chinese Nursing Interns
%A Aarav Menon
%A Kavya Iyer
%A Ritesh Batra
%A Nandini Rao
%J Journal of Integrative Nursing and Palliative Care
%@ 3006-5550
%D 2025
%V 6
%N 2
%R 10.51847/M09UtYIjhg
%P 334-343
%X In Chinese culture, discussions surrounding mortality are frequently viewed as taboo, which can exacerbate death anxiety among nursing interns confronted with end-of-life care. This anxiety may subsequently impair their capacity to deliver spiritual care, though the underlying pathways driving this relationship remain to be fully clarified. This study sought to evaluate the relationships between meaning in life, death anxiety, and spiritual care competence among nursing interns, while specifically investigating the potential mediating role played by death anxiety. A cross-sectional design was utilized for this investigation. A survey was administered to a whole-cohort sample of 737 final-year vocational nursing interns at a medical college in China. Data analysis was executed using SPSS version 25.0, utilizing t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and mediation analysis via Hayes’ PROCESS macro. Statistically significant relationships were identified among meaning in life, death anxiety, and spiritual care competence. Meaning in life demonstrated a positive correlation with spiritual care competence (r = 0.520, P < 0.001) and a weak negative correlation with death anxiety (r = -0.077, P = 0.036). Conversely, death anxiety was negatively correlated with spiritual care competence (r = -0.196, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that death anxiety partially mediated the link between meaning in life and spiritual care competence, yielding an indirect effect of 0.019 (95% CI: 0.001–0.041), which accounted for 2.24% of the total effect. Death anxiety serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between meaning in life and spiritual care competence, demonstrating an indirect effect that is small yet statistically significant. These outcomes indicate that mitigating concerns about mortality and promoting the construction of existential meaning within nursing curricula could enhance the development of spiritual care competence. This aligns with theoretical frameworks that emphasize the protective and buffering capacities of existential resources.
%U https://journalinpc.com/article/meaning-in-life-death-anxiety-and-spiritual-care-competence-a-cross-sectional-study-of-chinese-nu-fznoebk2jzsmonm