Original Article

Nurses’ Knowledge About End-of-Life Care: Where Are We?

Mona Choi, PhD, RN; JuHee Lee, PhD, APRN, RN; So-sun Kim, PhD, APRN, RN; Doori Kim, MSN, RN; Hokon Kim, MSN, RN

  • The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing
  • August 2012 - Volume 43 · Issue 8: 379-384
  • DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20120615-35
Rights and Permissions

Abstract

Background:

During the end-of-life stage, patients suffer from multiple symptoms or impairments of altered body systems. This study examined nurses’ knowledge of end-of-life care and also the relationship between the nurses’ knowledge and their characteristics.

Methods:

This was a descriptive, correlational study using a convenience sample of 368 Korean registered nurses working in cancer units, general wards, and intensive care units of a university health system. Twenty questions of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN) were used to examine nurses’ knowledge of end-of-life care.

Results:

The mean score on the PCQN was 8.95 of a possible 20. Participants who had the end-of-life care education (M = 9.57, SD = 2.19) tended to score higher than those without this education (M = 8.47, SD = 2.34), and the difference was statistically significant.

Conclusion:

Comprehensive continuing education programs on end-of-life care should be provided to fill the gap in knowledge and skill of staff nurses.

Dr. Choi is Assistant Professor, Dr. Lee is Assistant Professor, Dr. S. Kim is Professor, Ms. D. Kim is graduate student, and Ms. H. Kim is graduate student, College of Nursing, Nursing Policy and Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.

The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Address correspondence to JuHee Lee, PhD, APRN, RN, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Nursing Policy and Research Institute, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea 120-752. E-mail: jhl@yuhs.ac.

Received: September 25, 2011
Accepted: May 11, 2012
Posted Online: June 22, 2012

doi: 10.3928/00220124-20120615-35

Healio is intended for health care provider use and all comments will be posted at the discretion of the editors. We reserve the right not to post any comments with unsolicited information about medical devices or other products. At no time will Healio be used for medical advice to patients.