The most common responses in our society to death and dying are anxiety and avoidance. This is generally also true for many medical professionals; several studies have shown that doctors and nurses will significantly reduce contact with patients once the "terminal" diagnosis has been made. Hospices are public and private agencies which employs nurses specifically to provide specialized care for the dying. Previous studies have demonstrated no significant differences in the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) scores of hospice and non-hospice nurses; this would seem contrary to the observed behaviors.

Fifty-four hospice and 54 hospital nurses were administered the Templer DAS, the four Collett-Lester death anxiety scales (Death of Self, Death of Others, Dying of Self, and Dying of Others), and the Handal Controlled Repression-Sensitization Scale (CR-S). The Handal CR-S scale was redefined as a measurement of a subject's self-awareness and willingness to admit to that awareness; this use of the CR-S was supported by the data. Significant group differences were found only on the Dying of Self (F (1,106) = 17.3, p $<$ 0.0005) and Dying of Others Scales (F (1,106) = 30.3, p $<$ 0.00001).

Eight hospice and eight hospital nurses were randomly selected to participate in individual, one-hour phone interviews. The interview data complemented the questionnaire results and indicated that the groups do not differ in their feelings about their own deaths, which is the principal construct of Templer DAS. The primary distinction between the hospice and non-hospice nurses was their feelings about "dying." This generalized feeling developed from the association of desireable or aversive stimuli, which are common to the dying process, but differed in frequency and intensity with each nurse's life experiences. Specifically, hospice nurses tended to view work with the dying as an opportunity to develop intimate relationships and to exercise specialized clinical skills. Hospital nurses tended to view work with the dying as an indication of professional failure, loss of control, and a time of uncomfortable personal emotions. During the interviews, hospice nurses expressed higher levels of overall job satisfaction than hospital nurses. Both groups of interviewed nurses also suggested that, contrary to common beliefs about working with death and dying, hospice nurses have less occupational stress and were less likely to change medical specialties than their hospital colleagues.