title: Comparison of the Educational Needs of Neonatologists and Neonatal Nurses Regarding Palliative Care in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Education and training are very critical to development of high-quality neonatal palliative care. However, little investigation has been done into Taiwanese neonatal clinicians' educational needs regarding neonatal palliative care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were to characterize and identify neonatal clinicians' educational needs regarding neonatal palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional descriptive surveyed method via a self administered questionnaire was used in this research. Thirty neonatologists were recruited by a convenience sampling and 30 nurses were recruited by a randomized sampling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of sixty neonatal clinicians' survey, few had received the education in neonatal palliative care. Most reported minimal training in, experience with, and knowledge of neonatal palliative care. For neonatologists, two of twelve most strongly-felt educational needs were "discussing palliative care and ethical decision-making with parents" (70%) and "informing parents the poor progress in neonates" (63.3%). In contrast, neonatal nurses wanted more training regarding pain control (50%). Communication skills, including the discussing poor prognosis, bad news, and code status and talking with neonates about end-of-life care, were the educational need most commonly felt by both neonatologists and nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survey data from neonatologists and neonatal nurses in Taiwan indicate a need for further training on a range of neonatal palliative care competencies.
authors.affiliation: Chief of Department of Pediatric, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Instructor of Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Min-Chun
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan (ROC).
authors.forename: Yong-Chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan (ROC).
authors.forename: Chao-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Children Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Frank Leigh
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Changhua Christian Hospital in Changhua city, Changhua city, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Chou
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan (ROC) forever.pal.lily@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Niang-Huei
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D000072156:Neonatologists / Q000193:education*; D000072221:Nurses, Neonatal / Q000193:education*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013624:Taiwan; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: educational needs; end-of-life care; neonatal; neonatal intensive care; neonatal palliative care; neonatologists; nurses