Currently, major deficiencies exist in undergraduate nursing education for end-of-life care. Nursing students report feeling anxious and unprepared to be with patients who are dying. A Palliative Care Companion program that allows undergraduate nursing students to volunteer to spend time with patients at the end of life provides a unique educational opportunity to enhance students' knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care. In addition, the program offers a service to patients and families by providing a nonmedicai, caring human presence to patients who may be alone, lonely, or bored. In accordance with tenets of Experiential Learning Theory, a Palliative Care Companion program was developed and revised using feedback from initial participants and facilitators. Data collected during the first two semesters indicated increased knowledge of palliative care, improved attitudes about care at the end of life, and fewer concerns about providing nursing care to dying patients, when participating students were compared to their undergraduate peers.
Millions of Americans die each year, and the majority of deaths occur in hospitals, medical centers, or skilled care facilities where nurses provide the majority of care. As the population of the United States ages, nurses will be required to provide palliative care for an increasing number of patients. For example, the anticipated increase in the number of people diagnosed with cancer will result in cancer death rates doubling from 1.3 million in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2050 (Edwards et al., 2002).
Of all members of the multidisciplinary health care team, nurses spend the most time in direct care activities with dying patients and their family members. Nurses are largely involved in managing the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual symptoms experienced by patients at the end of life and by their families throughout the death and, occasionally, bereavement. They are central figures in advocating for interventions that minimize burden and distress and enhance the quality of life for their patients who are terminally ill. Given these extremely important responsibilities, new nurses must be adequately prepared to provide sensitive, quality care for patients at the end of life.
Currently, major deficiencies exist in undergraduate nursing education for end-of-life care. Nursing students report feeling anxious and unprepared to be with patients who are dying. A Palliative Care Companion program that allows undergraduate nursing students to volunteer to spend time with patients at the end of life provides a unique educational opportunity to enhance students' knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care. In addition, the program offers a service to patients and families by providing a nonmedicai, caring human presence to patients who may be alone, lonely, or bored. In accordance with tenets of Experiential Learning Theory, a Palliative Care Companion program was developed and revised using feedback from initial participants and facilitators. Data collected during the first two semesters indicated increased knowledge of palliative care, improved attitudes about care at the end of life, and fewer concerns about providing nursing care to dying patients, when participating students were compared to their undergraduate peers.Millions of Americans die each year, and the majority of deaths occur in hospitals, medical centers, or skilled care facilities where nurses provide the majority of care. As the population of the United States ages, nurses will be required to provide palliative care for an increasing number of patients. For example, the anticipated increase in the number of people diagnosed with cancer will result in cancer death rates doubling from 1.3 million in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2050 (Edwards et al., 2002).Of all members of the multidisciplinary health care team, nurses spend the most time in direct care activities with dying patients and their family members. Nurses are largely involved in managing the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual symptoms experienced by patients at the end of life and by their families throughout the death and, occasionally, bereavement. They are central figures in advocating for interventions that minimize burden and distress and enhance the quality of life for their patients who are terminally ill. Given these extremely important responsibilities, new nurses must be adequately prepared to provide sensitive, quality care for patients at the end of life.
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