National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Nurse Educ Today. 2019 Mar;74:7-14. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2018.11.025. Epub 2018 Dec 7.
Ensuring adequate knowledge about palliative care and positive attitudes towards death and dying are crucial educational aspects when preparing undergraduate nursing students to respond effectively to the complexities of care for people affected by a progressive, life-limiting illness. In undergraduate nursing education in Greece, the level of students' attained knowledge and developed attitudes towards palliative and end-of-life care remain unknown.
To investigate undergraduate nursing students' knowledge about palliative care and attitudes towards death and end-of-life care, and explore demographic and academic factors as potential moderators of student knowledge and attitudes.
We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey. We recruited 2nd, 3rd and 4th year undergraduate nursing students from the country's two University Faculties. Participants completed a demographic form, the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN), and the Frommelt Attitudes Towards Care of the Dying (FATCOD) questionnaire.
The final sample was 529 students (response rate = 87.6%). Mean total PCQN scores revealed low levels of knowledge. Knowledge about pain/symptom management and psychosocial/spiritual care was insufficient. Mean total FATCOD scores indicated positive, liberal and supportive attitudes towards end-of-life care, with 60% of respondents keen to care for a dying person and their family. We noted less positive attitudes mainly in relation to student comfort with the care of a dying person and his/her imminent death. Academic parameters (year of study) and student demographic characteristics (older age) were the most significant moderators of both knowledge and attitudes. Greater knowledge about palliative care was a relatively weak, yet significant, predictor of more liberal attitudes towards care of the dying.
Our findings suggest that structured courses in palliative care can be a core part of undergraduate nursing education. Specific attention could be given to such areas patient-health professional communication, misconceptions and biases towards death and dying, and comfort in caring for the dying in order to prepare student nurses to psychologically deal with the sensitive and challenging process of death and dying.
在培养本科护理学生有效应对受渐进性、生命有限疾病影响的患者护理的复杂性时，确保对姑息治疗有足够的了解以及对死亡和临终的积极态度是至关重要的教育方面。在希腊的本科护理教育中，学生对姑息治疗和临终关怀的知识水平以及态度的发展情况尚不清楚。
调查本科护理学生对姑息治疗的认识以及对死亡和临终关怀的态度，并探讨人口统计学和学术因素是否可能对学生的知识和态度产生影响。
我们进行了一项描述性、横断面、基于问卷的调查。我们从该国的两所大学的护理专业招募了二、三、四年级的本科护理学生。参与者填写了一份人口统计学表格、姑息治疗护理问卷（PCQN）和弗洛姆态度量表（FATCOD）。
最终样本为 529 名学生（回应率为 87.6%）。平均总分表明知识水平较低。在疼痛/症状管理和心理社会/精神关怀方面的知识不足。平均总分表明对临终关怀持积极、自由和支持的态度，有 60%的受访者愿意照顾临终患者及其家属。我们注意到，与学生对临终患者护理的舒适度以及对其即将死亡的接受度相关的态度不太积极。学术参数（学习年限）和学生人口统计学特征（年龄较大）是知识和态度的最重要调节因素。对姑息治疗的更多了解是对临终关怀态度更加自由的一个相对较弱但具有统计学意义的预测因素。
我们的研究结果表明，姑息治疗的结构化课程可以成为本科护理教育的核心部分。可以特别关注患者-健康专业人员的沟通、对死亡和临终的误解和偏见以及对临终关怀的舒适程度，以便使护理学生能够在心理上应对死亡和临终这一敏感和具有挑战性的过程。
