Nurses' knowledge about end-of-life care: where are we?
BACKGROUND
During the end-of-life stage, patients suffer from multiple symptoms or impairments of altered body systems. This study examined nurses' knowledge of end-of-life care and also the relationship between the nurses' knowledge and their characteristics.


METHODS
This was a descriptive, correlational study using a convenience sample of 368 Korean registered nurses working in cancer units, general wards, and intensive care units of a university health system. Twenty questions of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN) were used to examine nurses' knowledge of end-of-life care.


RESULTS
The mean score on the PCQN was 8.95 of a possible 20. Participants who had the end-of-life care education (M = 9.57, SD = 2.19) tended to score higher than those without this education (M = 8.47, SD = 2.34), and the difference was statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Comprehensive continuing education programs on end-of-life care should be provided to fill the gap in knowledge and skill of staff nurses.
College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
Mona
M
Choi
Juhee
J
Lee
So-Sun
SS
Kim
Doori
D
Kim
Hokon
H
Kim
D000328:Adult; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000639:trends*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000639:trends*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000639:trends*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000639:trends*; D055815:Young Adult