Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Toward Caring for End of Life Patients

Abstract

Abstract Background & Aim: Nurses are involved in providing end of life care for end stage individuals. Thus knowledge and attitude of them can be used as a key factor in planning and implementing programs for such care. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude of nurses Toward Caring for End of Life Patients. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study the stratified non-random sampling method was used to select the 240 participant nurses from the teaching hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Data collection tools were the knowledge test and the Frommelt Attitude Toward Caring For Dying Patients questionnaire. Data analysis was done by descriptive statistics, independent samples T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. Results: Mean score of nurses' knowledge of end-of-life care was 14.26 (SD=4.37) out of 29. Fifty-five percent of the nurses stated that they have not received sufficient training on providing end of life care. With a score of 100.32 (11.79) of a maximum score of 150, Participants' attitudes toward patient care were positive. The attitude level was higher in staff with an experience of care in home care centers (P<0.01). Also, the average score of knowledge was higher in staff with an experience of care in home care centers, care of close relatives and more exposure to patients at the end of life. Conclusion: Considering the low level of nurses' knowledge about providing end-of-life care, educational programs should be developed to improve the knowledge of nurses. Regarding the positive attitude of the nurses toward such care, training programs can contribute to developing professional end of life care in Iran.

Keywords

• end of life care
• knowledge
• attitude
• nurses