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Death Anxiety Amongst Medical Facility Staff Working with Medically Fragile Individuals Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine DigitalCommons@PCOM PCOM Psychology Dissertations Student Dissertations, Theses and Papers 2012 Death Anxiety amongst Medical Facility Staff Working with Medically Fragile Individuals Jacqueline Anne Chambers-Klein Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/psychology_dissertations Part of the Health Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Chambers-Klein, Jacqueline Anne, "Death Anxiety amongst Medical Facility Staff orkW ing with Medically Fragile Individuals" (2012). PCOM Psychology Dissertations. Paper 213. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Dissertations, Theses and Papers at DigitalCommons@PCOM. It has been accepted for inclusion in PCOM Psychology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@PCOM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of Psychology DEATH ANXIETY AMONGST MEDICAL FACILITY STAFF WORKING WITH MEDICALLY FRAGILE INDIVIDUALS By Jacqueline Anne Chambers-Klein Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Psychology May 2012 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of Psychology Dissertation Approval This is to certify that the thesis presented to us by Jacqueline Anne Chambers-Klein on the 7th day of May, 2012, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Psychology, has been examined and is acceptable in both scholarship and literary quality. Committee Members’ Signatures: Terri Erbacher, Ph.D., Chairperson Rosemary Mennuti, Ed.D., 2nd Chairperson John Pierce, Ph.D., 3rd Chairperson Robert A. DiTomasso, Ph.D., ABPP, Chair, Department of Psychology ii Acknowledgements My doctorate would not be possible if I did not consistently have the love and support of my husband, Tom. I cannot thank him enough for encouraging me when times were tough and for always pushing me to be the best person I can be. I would have never even entered the field of psychology if it wasn’t for the night we were swinging on the swings in Disney World. It was during a time in my life when I had changed my major three times during my undergraduate studies and I didn’t know what career path to choose. You suggested psychology and all these years later I am so thankful for that talk we had in Disney. You have never once doubted my dreams and were willing to put off our wedding until I completed a year in the doctorate program. Even though I have obtained a doctorate degree, I still have so much to learn from you. You don’t even know this; during our 14 year relationship, I feel as though I have been “the student” and you continue to be “the teacher” to me. Your level headedness and patience is something that I not only lean on, but can also learn from. You always know how to prioritize what is and is not important in a way that is wise beyond your years. I love you and look forward to our future together. To my parents, I don’t even know where to begin. You always take the time to tell me how proud you are of me both as a person and as a professional. I think my diligence and strong academic goals are attributed to you. College was never an if; it was a when. That carried over to my goals of a doctorate, it was not an if; it was a when. Mom, on countless occasions, you have asked me, “What can I do to alleviate some of your stress?” That was probably one of the most supportive things you could ever have said. Mom you told me if I can dream it, I can do it. I dreamed of obtaining my doctoral degree, and here I am accomplishing that dream. Dad, I learned from you that if something is worth doing that it is worth my best effort. Getting the privilege to see you as a professional and realizing the respect that you held, is something that has become my goal. I believe in my heart that I owe much of my accomplishments to you both for encouraging me to pursue my dreams. A wise woman taught me that my education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from me. Mom, that wise woman was you. To my mother and father in-law, thank you for being so supportive of me all these years. Going to school straight through for this long may not be the typical route for a daughter- in-law, but I always knew you respected my schooling and stood behind me all the way. The interest you took in this part of my life has touched me so much. I know how much you enjoyed telling others what I have accomplished. Thank you so much for your love and encouragement throughout this journey. To my sister, Michelle, thank you for attending all of my graduations and being one of my biggest supporters. Your presence in Atlanta and Chicago meant so much to me and serve as amazing memories. You have always been a listening ear when I was stressed and a proud sister iii through every step. You have never once doubted my success and I sincerely thank you “buddy” for being the sister that you are to me. To my grandparents, I have always known how proud you are of me. Mommom, when I look back on my graduations, I always see you sitting there proudly. Poppop, even though you are not here in person, I know you have been with me every step of the way. The cheering that is going on up there must be deafening! You always loved to tell people, “That’s my granddaughter; she’s going to be a doctor.” Well, here I am and you were right! To Dr. Pierce, who back in 2001, while I was at Philadelphia University, took the time to meet with me to introduce me to the world of psychology. Being a student in your classes was an honor; your classes were not only full of valuable information, but you made your students feel as though they truly mattered. Thank you for seeing what you did in me and allowing me to collaborate with you to accomplish two publications, in addition to presentations, including trips to Atlanta, Chicago, & Washington D.C. Your knowledge and passion for your students is something that makes you an incredible individual. You always take the time for your students both past and present, showing you truly care. You are fulfilling your calling, to be the teacher, mentor, and friend that you are meant to be. You were there on my wedding day and now my dissertation defense; you have such a meaningful role in my life that words can never truly convey. To Dr. Erbacher, our relationship started during my years in the Ed.S. Program. Then you asked me to serve as your teaching assistant for your Ed.S. interns. I was so touched by your offer and fully enjoyed spending that time with you. When it came time for me to find a chairperson for my dissertation that was a no brainer! I knew I wanted to work with you. Your work ethic and constant belief in me kept me motivated. I truly believe you were my perfect dissertation match! To Dr. Mennuti, you played the significant role of introducing me to the world of school psychology. While being a student in the Master’s in Counseling and Clinical Health Program, you were a guest speaker that spoke to my cohort about PCOM’s school psychology program. It was that night that I knew I needed to change fields and applied to the Ed.S. program. Thank you for always being a phone call away and for allowing your students to feel comfortable coming to you when they needed help. Your warmth, knowledge, and compassion are things that I will strive for in my career. To Dr. Banford, I thank you for allowing me to complete the two most difficult obstacles to my doctorate. If it wasn’t for you becoming my internship supervisor and offering me a site I would not have been able to complete my doctorate, while maintaining my full time day job. Further, my gratitude for you helping me get the approval to use the data collected during internship for my dissertation is immeasurable. Yet again you came through for me, by serving on my validation committee. Your knowledge and friendship are so valuable to me! iv To my Soul Sister, Dr. Katie Rowan, I am so thankful they we met while pursuing our PsyD together. Since the day we had our program interview together, we have gone through so much and we each have each other to thank. We have grown as students, but more importantly as friends. Without each other’s support I really am not sure if we would have made it through! We are miles apart, but our hearts and souls are forever connected. Thank you for being such an amazing friend to me. Last, to my co-workers, thank you for supporting me through the years. Even if you simply asked me how school was going, that made a significant impression on me. You have cheered me on throughout this program and offered me support and motivation during the most difficult of times. v Abstract Death, an inevitable concept that connects us as humans, can cause significant anxiety in individuals. Literature suggests that some medical professionals choose the field because of their own inner struggles with death (Neimeyer et al., 2004).
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