Teaching Where Life Ends: Peer-Assisted Learning in Hospice as a Model for End-of-Life Nursing Education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Palliative Care
• Clinical Competency

Background:

• Nursing programs are expanding clinical learning opportunities in hospice/palliative/supportive care.
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials guide preparation for practice-ready graduates.
• Integrating end-of-life (EOL) clinical experiences is crucial for comprehensive nursing education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a nursing school's approach to integrating EOL clinical experiences across the curriculum.
• To implement a peer-assisted learning model for beginning nursing students in an inpatient hospice setting.
• To define differentiated objectives for senior and beginning nursing students in this specialized setting.

Main Methods:

• A peer-assisted learning model paired senior and beginning nursing students.
• Experiences were integrated into an inpatient hospice facility setting.
• Differentiated learning objectives and goals were established for each student group.

Main Results:

• Students reported feeling welcomed, engaged in hands-on care, and increased comfort with EOL care.
• Faculty observed a unique environment for skill development with less oversight.
• Hospice nurses effectively modeled best practices in holistic, patient-centered care.

Conclusions:

• The peer-assisted learning model successfully enhanced nursing students' EOL care education and skills.
• This educational structure provides valuable clinical experience and supports faculty in teaching specialized care.
• Implications for practice include utilizing reflective journaling mapped to competency-based education subcompetencies.