Related Experiment Videos
Long-term care nurses' knowledge of end-of-life care
Barbara M Raudonis1, Ferne C n Kyba, Terri A Kinsey
1University of Texas, Arlington School of Nursing, USA.
Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.)
|December 21, 2002
Summary
Palliative care education is lacking in long-term care (LTC) facilities, with nurses scoring only 62% on a knowledge quiz. This highlights a critical need for improved end-of-life care training for LTC staff.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Palliative Care
- Nursing Education
Background:
- Long-term care (LTC) facilities aim to provide palliative care for terminally ill residents through hospice partnerships.
- However, hospice enrollment remains low at 1% of nursing home residents.
- Integrating hospice and LTC services faces significant barriers, notably insufficient palliative care education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the palliative care knowledge of licensed nurses in LTC settings.
- To identify educational gaps in end-of-life care for LTC professionals.
Main Methods:
- A study surveyed 164 licensed nurses across 24 LTC facilities in north central Texas.
- The Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing was administered to evaluate knowledge levels.
Main Results:
- Nurses achieved a mean score of 12.3 out of 20 (62%, SD = 2.7) on the palliative care quiz.
- This indicates significant deficiencies in their understanding of palliative care principles.
Conclusions:
- There is an urgent need for in-service palliative care education for current LTC nurses.
- Palliative care content must be integrated into nursing curricula to prepare future healthcare professionals.