A one hour teaching intervention can improve end-of-life care

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Palliative Care
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Standard nursing actions may not align with patient preferences for comfort during end-of-life (EOL) care.
• The need for tailored nursing interventions to enhance EOL patient comfort is not well-established.
• Patient-centered care is crucial in optimizing the quality of life for EOL patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a concise educational intervention on nursing students' approach to EOL patient care.
• To determine if a teaching module can influence student nurses' behavioral intentions regarding EOL patient comfort measures.
• To assess the effectiveness of education in promoting patient-centered care for individuals nearing the end of life.

Main Methods:

• A pre-test/post-test intervention design was employed.
• 471 nursing students from three U.S. institutions participated.
• A modified aggressiveness of nursing care scale measured behavioral intentions before and after a lecture on EOL care priorities.

Main Results:

• Prior to the intervention, students' care aggressiveness scores mirrored those of experienced nurses.
• Students initially showed a bias towards more aggressive care for younger patients without Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders.
• Following the lecture, care aggressiveness scores significantly decreased for all EOL patients, with no difference based on age or DNR status.

Conclusions:

• A brief teaching intervention effectively enhanced student nurses' consideration of patient preferences in EOL care.
• The study highlights the positive impact of targeted education on improving the quality of nursing care for EOL patients.
• Educational strategies can successfully shift nursing students' approach towards more patient-centered EOL care practices.