Are nurses adequately prepared for end-of-life care?

To determine end-of-life (EOL) care core competencies and educational needs from practicing oncology nurses and to describe the characteristics of the respondents that are associated with selection of the leading core competencies.

A researcher-developed mailed descriptive survey to members of the Oncology Nursing Society in Georgia, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin in late 1999.

Nearly all respondents indicated that EOL care was a part of their practice and that continuing education was important, but one-third of the respondents had less than 2 hours of continuing education in 2 years. How to talk to patients and families about dying was the top-rated core competency, consistent across age, educational level, practice role, and practice setting. Pain control and comfort care were also frequently selected as important EOL care issues about which more education is needed.

Results show guidelines for improving educational curricula and considering characteristics of nurses when planning EOL educational programs.