Socioeconomic disparities and health-related parenting practices in shaping early infant neurodevelopment: evidence from a Chinese prospective birth cohort.

Although death is a universal and inevitable aspect of the human condition, transcending cultural, historical, and situational boundaries, modern Western society often approaches it with avoidance and denial. Contemporary values emphasizing individualism, competitiveness, consumerism, technological advancement, and profit orientation contribute to the marginalization of death as a topic of reflection [, ]. Within this sociocultural context, the psychological implications of death and dying have garnered increasing scholarly attention, particularly concerning anxiety and fear among healthcare students [–]. In healthcare education and practice, students and professionals are frequently confronted with patient death, which often elicits emotional distress that remains insufficiently acknowledged and inadequately addressed. Recurrent exposure to dying patients and bereaved families, coupled with limited formal education in death, dying, and bereavement, contributes to substantial psychological strain and emotional burden within this population [–]. Despite growing recognition of the psychological and educational challenges associated with death and dying [, , –], existing research indicates persistent gaps in healthcare curricula, including inconsistent integration of palliative care, limited training in emotional regulation, and insufficient opportunities for experiential learning with patient death [–]. Many students and early-career professionals report feeling unprepared to manage end-of-life care, experience significant emotional distress, and lack structured support to develop coping strategies, communication skills, and empathy [, –]. These limitations underscore the need for targeted interventions, such as the “Caring for Life in Death” program, to transform nursing students’ attitudes toward death and enhance their preparedness for clinical practice. The present study investigates the impact of the Caring for Life in Death program on nursing students. This study is embedded within a broader educational intervention targeting both healthcare students and professionals, which was completed in May 2025 (see Supplementary Figures and ). The primary research question examines the extent to which participation in the Caring for Life in Death program influences nursing students´ perceptions of death, as well as their levels of death-related anxiety and fear.