title: The educational needs of neonatal nurses regarding neonatal palliative care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have shown that education can improve the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of neonatal nurses regarding neonatal palliative care. However, no study has investigated the need for neonatal nurse education in neonatal palliative care in Taiwan.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to explore neonatal nurses' experiences in caring for dying neonates and their educational backgrounds regarding palliative care, as well as to assess their educational needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was used for this research. A research structural questionnaire was used to investigate the research goals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred fifteen nurses participated in this survey. Few participants indicated having received neonatal palliative care education (13%), but most responded that palliative care is necessary in neonatal nursing education (97.4%). Participants also responded that they were often or always exposed to death in NICU (62.6%), but few reported providing pain management to dying neonates (8.7%) and few had experience providing symptomatic care for dying neonates (19.1%). Fifty percent ranked "pain control" as the area in which they most required training. Another high-ranked need was in discussing with parents and families the outcomes of CPR and their neonate's progress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research indicates that the education currently provided to neonatal nurses does not meet their distinctive needs. Neonatal nurses in Taiwan expressed an urgent desire for training in pain control and communication. Research suggests that the most important topics to trainees are pain management and end-of-life communication. Additionally, non-pharmacological pain control interventions are valuable and should be included in an educational program.
authors.affiliation: Nursing College in Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: forever.pal.lily@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Niang-Huei
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Chao-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-Chi
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hsin-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Min-Chun
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ching-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D064946:Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000193:education*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: Educational needs; Neonatal nurses; Neonatal palliative care