title: The impact of a simulated intervention on attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life care provision.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The concerns of undergraduate nursing and medical students' regarding end of life care are well documented. Many report feelings of emotional distress, anxiety and a lack of preparation to provide care to patients at end of life and their families. Evidence suggests that increased exposure to patients who are dying and their families can improve attitudes toward end of life care. In the absence of such clinical exposure, simulation provides experiential learning with outcomes comparable to that of clinical practice. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the impact of a simulated intervention on the attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design. Attitudes towards end of life care were measured using the Frommelt Attitudes Towards Care of the Dying Part B Scale which was administered pre and post a simulated clinical scenario. 19 undergraduate nursing and medical students were recruited from one large Higher Education Institution in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of this pilot study confirm that a simulated end of life care intervention has a positive impact on the attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life care (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active, experiential learning in the form of simulation teaching helps improve attitudes of undergraduate nursing and medical students towards end of life. In the absence of clinical exposure, simulation is a viable alternative to help prepare students for their professional role regarding end of life care.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Biobank, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK. Claire.lewis@qub.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Zara
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: McLernon
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ingham
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Traynor
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D065126:Palliative Medicine / Q000193:education*; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Attitudes; End of life; Intervention; Medical students; Nursing students; Simulation; Undergraduate