Abstract
BackgroundPalliative care is a patient-centred, integrated approach for improving quality of life for both patients facing life-threatening illnesses and for their families. Although there has been increased interest in palliative care for non-cancer patients, the palliative care competency of nurses who care for non-cancer patients has rarely been investigated. This study described the palliative care knowledge, attitude, confidence, and educational needs in nurses who care for patients with congestive heart failure, stroke, end-stage renal disease, and end-stage liver disease; explored the relationships between those variables; and identified factors affecting nurses’ palliative care confidence.MethodsA cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was employed; data collection was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. Nurses who were working in general wards and intensive care units (N = 102) completed valid and reliable self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlations, and multiple regression were conducted to analyse the data.ResultsNurses’ palliative care knowledge level was low (9.73 ± 2.10; range = 0–20) and their attitude toward palliative care was moderate (87.97 ± 6.93, range: 30–120). Knowledge was significantly correlated with attitude (r = .29, p = .003). Nurses were highly confident in pain and symptom management but demonstrated high educational needs for managing human and material resources to provide palliative care. Previous training in hospice, palliative, and EOL care was a significant and modifiable factor that affected nurses’ confidence (std. β = 0.25, p = .010).ConclusionsTo facilitate high-quality palliative care for non-cancer patients and families, nursing education programs should be developed to address nurses’ knowledge level, confidence level, and educational needs. This study provides relevant information that can be utilised to develop palliative care educational programs for nurses who care for non-cancer patients.
Highlights
Palliative care is a patient-centred, integrated approach for improving quality of life for both patients facing life-threatening illnesses and for their families
This study examined the knowledge levels, attitudes, confidence, and educational needs of palliative care in nurses caring for non-cancer patients and identify factors affecting nurses’ confidence
Study aims The study aimed to (1) examine palliative care knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and educational needs in nurses who care for patients with Congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and end-stage liver disease (ESLD); (2) explore the relationships between nurses’ palliative care knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and educational needs; and (3) identify factors affecting nurses’ confidence in providing palliative care
Summary
Palliative care is a patient-centred, integrated approach for improving quality of life for both patients facing life-threatening illnesses and for their families. Palliative care includes patient-centred physical, psychosocial, and spiritual care to improve quality of life for both patients facing life-threatening illnesses and for their family members [1]. The need for palliative care is increasing worldwide because of population aging, an increased prevalence of chronic diseases, and increased interest in quality of life [3,4,5]. Hospital deaths have consistently continued to increase [7, 8], information related to patients’ and families’ experience of palliative care in a hospital setting is still limited [9]
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