One-week training evaluation in hospital palliative care service for advanced nurses: a mixed method study

The educational role of a specialist palliative care team is crucial for the growth of nursing students attending a second-level course in palliative care. To our knowledge, the literature on the impact evaluation of clinical training in palliative care is scarce. This study aims to describe and evaluate a one-week training program in a Hospital Palliative Care Unit, specifically designed for nurses who have completed a post-degree university course. The nurse trainees were involved in various activities alongside the specialist team, including clinical, teaching, and research tasks.

The program was evaluated through a retrospective, observational, mixed-method study incorporating before-after training evaluation and consequent concurrent data triangulation. Two tools, reflective writing, and the portfolio, were used for training and research purposes. They have been analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, respectively.

Qualitative analysis of 107 pre-post reflexive writings on students' expectations and desires led us to identify three general themes: (1) Palliative care between present and future, (2) Inpatient palliative care, (3) Metamorphosis of the trainee. Quantitative analysis of the 110 portfolios shows a statistically significant increase in perceived knowledge and skills regarding the meaning of modern palliative care, management of end-of-life, and advanced communication. Concurrent triangulation of data shows a consistency between qualitative and quantitative data.

Enabling trainees to work with a specialist hospital palliative care team transfers knowledge relating to the goals of early palliative care and specialist palliative care skills. This study underscores the need for further studies to confirm the structure and the elements of a palliative care internship for post-degree nurses, emphasizing the importance of ongoing research in this field.