End-of-life nursing education: Enhancing nurse knowledge and attitudes

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Palliative Care
• End-of-Life Care

Background:

• The aging population in the US necessitates expanded palliative care access.
• A growing number of elderly individuals will require specialized medical attention.
• Knowledgeable palliative care providers are crucial for future healthcare demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a palliative and end-of-life care nursing education program.
• To evaluate changes in nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards caring for terminally ill patients.
• To determine the effectiveness of the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Core Curriculum.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures was employed.
• 134 nurses participated in a 6-week, 12-hour ELNEC Core Curriculum© program.
• Knowledge was assessed using the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN), and attitudes using the Thanatophobia Scale (TS).

Main Results:

• Post-test scores on the PCQN showed a significant increase in nurses' knowledge (p=.000).
• Nurses' correct answers on EOL care knowledge improved from 13/20 to 15/20 post-intervention.
• Attitudes towards caring for dying patients significantly improved post-intervention (p=.000).

Conclusions:

• The ELNEC© curriculum effectively enhanced nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding end-of-life care.
• Educating practicing nurses is a viable strategy for improving EOL care competencies.
• Further education in end-of-life care is recommended for nursing professionals.