![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Learning Objective 1: Identify ways to better prepare students to provide quality care to the dying and their loved ones.
Learning Objective 2: Use surveys to assess, evaluate and document end of life education needs.
A descriptive study was undertaken to explore whether nursing alumni from 2001-2007 perceive that the EOL education in their undergraduate curriculum has: 1) prepared them to provide quality end of life (EOL) care and, 2) contributed to changes in the way they go about being in the world. ‘Changes in being in the world’ was defined as being more or less appreciative of things in life, for example, spending more time with loved ones.
Method
After IRB approval, alumni were sent a survey consisting of demographic and likert-type questions specific to their EOL education. One hundred and fifty four graduates responded (100 generic and 54 RN to BSN pathway alumni; 133 females, and 21 males) who were similarly representative of our culturally diverse urban public university population as a whole. Participants comprised a varied group of nurses in terms of number of years in practice and clinical background.
Results
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) models were used to statistically assess differences in group responses. Findings revealed statistically significant differences between those alumni who took an EOL elective and those who had received basic education related to their perceptions of preparedness to provide care (F (1,152) = 51.85, p < .0001, M-elective = 3.43 and M-no elective = 2.60; where 4 = strongly agree and 1 strongly disagree) and also ways of being in the world (F (1,152) = 19.50, p < .0001, M-elective = 3.28 and M-no elective = 2.73).
Conclusion
Over 55 % of respondents believed that they had not received enough EOL content and this in a school with strong advocacy for EOL education. The findings also revealed a number of barriers related to EOL education that bear further scrutiny to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to provide quality care to the dying and their loved ones.
See more of: Oral Paper & Poster: Evidence-Based Practice Contest