ObjectiveTo investigate the life meaning and death attitude of secondary vocational nursing students and its correlation, and analyze the influencing factors of life meaning for providing reference and basis in carrying out death education courses for nursing students in secondary vocational schools.

MethodsA total of 1 516 secondary vocational nursing students were surveyed using the general information questionnaire, Chinese version of life meaning scale and death attitude description scale(revised).

ResultsThe total score of the sense of life meaning in secondary vocational nursing students was (40.46±7.27), and the average scores of the seeking life meaning item and life meaning existence item were (4.60±1.03) and (4.41±0.89), respectively.The differences of the scores of life meaning in nursing students with different grades, family location, self-conscious physical and mental health status, and suicidal thoughts were statistically significant(P < 0.01).Among the dimensions of death attitude, the score of natural acceptance dimension was the highest(3.37±0.59), followed by the death escape dimension(3.27±0.64), approach acceptance dimension(3.25±0.53), escape acceptance dimension(3.22±0.64), and fear of death dimension(2.91±0.56).The life meaning existence dimension in life meaning sense was negatively correlated with the death fear, death escape, natural acceptance, approach acceptance and escape acceptance among death attitudes(P < 0.01), while the seeking life meaning dimension was positively correlated with death escape, approach acceptance and escape acceptance among death attitudes(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

ConclusionsThe sense of life meaning of the secondary vocational nursing students is at medium level, and the natural acceptance is the main death attitude.However, it is still necessary to guide nursing students positively to establish a positive outlook on life and death.