Impact of an Evidence-Based Pediatric Palliative Care Program on Nurses' Self-Efficacy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Palliative Care Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Pediatric palliative care requires specialized knowledge and skills.
• Nurses and advanced practice registered nurses often lack specific pediatric palliative care training.
• Continuing education is vital for enhancing care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 1-day evidence-based pediatric palliative care continuing professional development program.
• To assess changes in perceived self-efficacy among nurses and advanced practice registered nurses.
• To determine the effectiveness of specialized training in improving confidence in delivering pediatric palliative care.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-program survey using the revised Pediatric Palliative Care Questionnaire.
• A 7.5-hour multimodal continuing professional development program.
• Inclusion of 31 nurses and advanced practice registered nurses.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in self-efficacy scores post-program (Z = 3.53, p < .001).
• Most participants had prior palliative or end-of-life care experience but limited pediatric-specific education.
• The program effectively enhanced participants' confidence in pediatric palliative care skills.

Conclusions:

• Continuing professional development in pediatric palliative care demonstrably improves nurses' self-efficacy.
• Findings underscore the necessity of integrating pediatric-specific education into nursing curricula and professional development.
• Enhanced nursing education is key to improving access to high-quality palliative care for children with serious illnesses and their families.