TITLE:
Nursing Students Knowledge of Palliative Care at a Medical University in China: A Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Meng Cao, Wenxia Li, Miao Wan, Lin Yang, Jun Ma
KEYWORDS:
Nursing Students, Palliative Care, Knowledge, Nursing Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.10 No.1,
January
11,
2023
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate palliative care knowledge among nursing students and analyze their influencing factors in China. Methodology: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey consisted of 1168 nursing students, and was surveyed from November 2020 and January 2021 in China. The data were collected by using the “demographic characteristics form” and “Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing” (PCQN). Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the basic demographic variables, and medians and quartiles were used to describe knowledge scores. Results: The median palliative care knowledge score was 11.00 (9.00, 12.00), indicating a generally poor knowledge of palliative care. Nursing students were found to have insufficient knowledge and experience and had deficits in the use of painkillers, psychosocial and spiritual care dimensions. In addition, the level of knowledge of nursing students is influenced by their personal background, level of education, and clinical practice experience. Conclusion: Our findings reflect the deficiencies in nursing students’ knowledge of palliative care and attention of nursing educators should be drawn to palliative care education. Major medical schools should add palliative care expertise to the undergraduate education of nursing students to provide a supply of talent for palliative care services and promote the development of palliative care education, services, and careers in China.