Factors influencing nursing students' attitudes toward autopsies in South Korea: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing students’ perceptions of and attitudes toward autopsies and to identify factors influencing their attitudes. Methods: This study was a descriptive survey, and the participants were 183 nursing students enrolled at Nambu University. Data were collected through an online survey conducted from September 2 to October 4, 2024 and analyzed using SPSS version 28.0, employing descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-way analysis of variance, the Scheffé test, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Nursing students’ attitudes toward autopsies showed significant correlations with their awareness of autopsies (β = .29, p < .001), awareness of local installation of autopsy facilities (β = .16, p = .030), the perceived necessity of forensic medicine (forensic nursing) (β = .16, p = .290), and age (β = .12, p = .100), explaining a total of 17% of the variance. Conclusion: These findings underscore the need to develop and implement a systematic forensic education program to improve nursing students’ perceptions of autopsies and facilitate informed decision-making.