Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding End-of-Life Care in Critical Care Units: A Challenge for Nurses
Saeer Naheem Taha, Nassim Samir Saker, Hussein Kadhim Hussein, Roula Mohammad Abboud, Alaa Hamza Hermis, Tooba AkbariAbstract
Background:
Everybody with a life-limiting disease has the right to live free from pain and distress in the last days of his life, as well as the right to a dignified life and a peaceful death. End-of-life (EOL) care is now recognized as an essential component of patient care in a critical care unit (CCU), and all these nurses are responsible for providing EOL care. In the current designed study, it is possible to explore the importance of the nursing role through the care provided by the nursing staff to EOL patients.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to describe the knowledge, and nurse’s attitudes about EOL care at critical units.
Materials and Methods:
A descriptive study was carried out at the CCUs (coronary care unit and intensive care unit) of Al-Husseini Hospital in Karbala. The Folmmelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD scale) and the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN) were used to assess nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding EOL care in a structured interview format.
Results:
The study showed that 72% of participants had a medium knowledge level of EOL care in CCUs regarding the philosophy principle, psychosocial, and spiritual of palliative care, and 62% of participants had medium knowledge about management of pain and other symptoms and total knowledge. The majority of participants had a neutral attitude toward EOL care in CCUs.
Conclusion:
The high percentage of participants had a medium knowledge level of EOL care in CCUs related to the philosophy principle, psychosocial, and spiritual of palliative care. There was a significant relationship between participants’ attitude and their experiences related to care of dying.