References
Death, dying and caring: exploring the student nurse experience of palliative and end-of-life education
Abstract
Background:
Undergraduate education and training are fundamental in preparing student nurses for working in palliative and end-of-life care.
Aim:
This article explores the experiences of student nurses in their palliative and end-of-life undergraduate nurse education.
Methodology:
Sandelowski and Barroso's (2007) framework for undertaking a metasynthesis was used. Initial database searches returned 60 articles of interest. Re-reading the articles in the context of the research question identified 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Four key themes emerged.
Findings:
Student nurses voiced concerns regarding their feelings of unpreparedness, and lack of confidence and knowledge when dealing with the complexities of palliative and end-of-life care. Student nurses called for more training and education in palliative and end-of-life care.
Conclusion:
Flexible nursing curricula responsive to the needs of student nurses and the changing landscape of healthcare provision, including care to ensure a good death experience, should be prioritised at undergraduate level.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that approximately 40 million people require palliative care annually (WHO, 2020). The concepts of a ‘good death for dying patients’ or ‘successful dying’ are multifactorial, and no clear definition is found in the literature. Meier et al (2016) recommended further examination of what these concepts mean from the perspectives and needs of patients and their families in tandem with those of health professionals. The WHO recommended that palliative care should be a component of integrated treatment throughout the life course (WHO, 2014).
Palliative and end-of-life care education for health professionals is essential to meet the needs of patients and their families and to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality patient-centred care (Eriksson et al, 2015; Fadhil et al, 2017). To address this, the Erasmus+ Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices produced the Palliative Care Standardized Curriculum – Translating International Recommendations into Undergraduate Palliative Care Curriculum (EDUPALL) project. This undergraduate Palliative Care Curriculum is credited with three European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) points for undergraduate medical student education and is based on the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) recommendations (Mason et al, 2020). The key elements recommended by EAPC for inclusion in the curriculum are the basis of palliative care: pain and symptom management; psychosocial and spiritual aspects; ethical and legal issues; communication and self-reflection (Mosoiu et al, 2019; Mason et al, 2020).
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