Clinical Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitude on Palliative Care: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22502/jlmc.v9i1.435Keywords:
Attitude, Knowledge, Nurse, Palliative careAbstract
Introduction: Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach for enhancing the quality of life of terminally ill patients. For nurses, being the core members of the palliative care team, adequate knowledge and a positive attitude are crucial. This study aimed to assess clinical nurses' knowledge and attitude on palliative care. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 122 nurses. A simple random sampling technique was applied to select the sample. Internationally validated questionnaires-“The Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing†and “Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale†were used to assess knowledge and attitude. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Results: The mean age of participants was 25±5.42 years and a majority (70.5%) were staff nurses. None of the participants had ever received training or in-service education related to palliative care. Only 29.5% had a fair level of knowledge and, 28.7% had a good level of attitude towards palliative care. Pearson correlation test revealed a negligible correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude (r= 0.135, p=0.887). Ethnicity (p=0.02) and religion (p=0.02) were statistically significant with the level of knowledge and care for dying relatives (p=0.03) was statistically significant with the level of attitude. Conclusion: The study revealed that nurses’ have poor knowledge of palliative care but had a fair attitude. As nurses are core members, regular training and in-service education can enhance their knowledge level. Positive reinforcement, appreciation, and reward for desirable behavior can help them develop a good attitude towards palliative care.
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