Israeli Nurses' Palliative Care Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Practices

Area of Science:

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

Background:

• Critical care and oncology nurses play vital roles in end-of-life (EOL) care.
• Understanding their self-perceived knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the self-perceived end-of-life (EOL) knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses with those of oncology nurses.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 126 Israeli nurses (79 oncology, 47 ICU).
• An online survey assessed demographic information, clinical setting, and self-perceived EOL knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices.

Main Results:

• Both oncology and ICU nurses reported moderate self-perceived knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care.
• However, self-reported behaviors regarding palliative care were low in both groups.
• While oncology nurses scored slightly higher in knowledge and attitudes, differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• Contrary to expectations, oncology and ICU nurses demonstrated similar levels of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning palliative care.
• Nurses in both critical care and oncology settings require improved training and empowerment to deliver comprehensive palliative care.