Abstract

Objective: To evaluate fear of death and its relationship with various sociodemographic variables in nursing students. Method: The study design was descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional, based on a quantitative approach with a positivist paradigm. The participants were 443 students from the first to the fifth year of nursing school at the University of Chile, selected by random sampling, stratified by cluster. The Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale, validated in Chile, was applied to each participant through a form sent through mass messages using descriptive statistics. The Ethics Committee approved the research. Results: Average fear of death was moderate to high (3.16 ± 1.43). The highest score was obtained for fear of the death of others (3.64 ± 1.36). Perceived fear decreases as the curriculum progresses, and the female gender has a higher score. Conclusion: Fear of death is inversely related to the number of years in nursing training. It is essential to have curricular modifications that favor teaching about the end of life among undergraduate students. That can be implemented within the framework of the current legal norm in Chile.