Effects of a Discourse Intervention on End-of-Life Knowledge and Attitudes of Bachelor of Science in Nursing Students

Several challenges exist to providing effective, formalized end-of-life education for undergraduate nursing students. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the addition of a discourse intervention to the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium Undergraduate Nursing Modules effectively improved junior-level prelicensure bachelor of science in nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward end-of-life care. This quasi-experimental 2-group comparison, pretest/posttest design consisted of a sample of 135 enrolled in a medical-surgical nursing class. Applying Mezirow's transformational learning theory, a 2-hour discourse intervention that included a self-reflective journal, an unfolding case study focused on loss, and a discussion with question-and-answer session was implemented at the completion of the Undergraduate Nursing Modules for the intervention group. Knowledge and attitude toward end-of-life care were measured before and after the intervention with the Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses and the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying. The findings indicated increased knowledge and positive attitude changes. This study supports the value of theory-based educational interventions, like a discourse intervention, to enhance effective pedagogy when addressing emotionally laden content such as end-of-life care. This study may have also given a glimpse of how a global pandemic may affect end-of-life knowledge and attitudes.