End-of-Life Nursing Education in US Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Programs.

ABSTRACT: End-of-life (EOL) education in baccalaureate nursing degree programs is critical to prepare nurses to care for patients and families with complex physical and psychosocial needs at the EOL. This quantitative descriptive study examines the current state of EOL education in baccalaureate nursing programs across the United States. Results of this study show that nurse educators continue to use strategies to provide this education; however, the amount and frequency of content delivered require improvement, and support for faculty development is needed.

The Effect of a Formal Mentoring Program on Career Satisfaction and Intent to Stay in the Faculty Role for Novice Nurse Faculty.

AIM: The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the influence of a formal mentoring program on career satisfaction of novice full-time nurse faculty in academia. BACKGROUND: The transition from the role of clinician to faculty in an academic setting can be challenging for novice nurse faculty. METHOD: A link to an electronic survey with open-ended questions was emailed to 1435 participants. RESULTS: The response rate was 17.6 percent (N = 124). Mean scores were obtained, and independent t-test were computed to compare scores of faculty who had participated in a mentoring program with scores of nonparticipants. Content analysis of the open-ended answers was conducted, and common themes were identified. CONCLUSION: By examining characteristics that contribute to the success of novice nursing faculty, recruitment and retention of faculty may improve, which is essential due to the worsening nursing faculty shortage.

Nursing Student Perceptions of End-of-Life Communication Competence: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Effective communication skills are required when nurses care for patients and their families navigating life-limiting illness and the end of life. Educators have made great strides in integrating end-of-life content into prelicensure curricula. It is critical to evaluate nursing students' perceptions of their communication skills to empirically guide the development and implementation of future education interventions. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore nursing students' perceptions of their verbal and nonverbal communication competence when providing end-of-life care. Students participated in an established high-fidelity simulation focused on difficult end-of-life conversations. Students explored their perceptions during postsimulation debriefing sessions. Colaizzi's method guided thematic analysis of the audio-recorded debriefings. One major theme emerged from the data: delivering bad news is difficult. Four subthemes further described this theme and its components: (1) reflecting on communication at end of life, (2) feeling uncomfortable, (3) calling for more exposure to end-of-life communication, and (4) fostering a supportive environment for patients and families. Results indicate that nursing students had anxiety and discomfort when engaging in end-of-life conversations. These findings support increased investments in additional training interventions to facilitate the development of student competence in end-of-life communication prior to entering the professional workforce.

Becoming Aware of Compassionate Care Through a Patient's Story: Reflections From First-Year Nursing Students.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand how faculty members can use literature to teach first-year nursing students about compassionate care and the nursing role. A group of first-year nursing students wrote letters to the author of a book that details his experiences following a catastrophic motor vehicle accident. Thematic analysis of the letters revealed three major themes: Lessons about Compassion through Literature; Changing Personal, Professional, and Educational Perspectives; and Connecting to the Story on a Personal Level. The data was interpreted with the use of Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory (1997). The results of the study show that students' beliefs about the profession of nursing, the role of the nurse in providing compassionate care, and their own education, were transformed. Additionally, using literature was shown to be an effective teaching strategy.

Integration of a Hospice Clinical Experience: Nursing Students' Perceptions.

Prelicensure nursing programs have been slow to integrate end-of-life care into their curricula. In those prelicensure nursing programs that do offer courses on end-of-life care, student outcomes include positive attitudes toward dying patients. This mixed-method study had 2 purposes: first to compare 2 teaching strategies, hospice simulation and hospice clinical. The second purpose of this study was to strengthen understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of nursing students caring for dying patients and their families in both simulated and hospice clinical settings. Fourth-year nursing students enrolled in a Medical-Surgical Nursing III course participated in the study (n = 134). Participants were placed in an inpatient hospice clinical setting or a hospice simulation. Students completed the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale and a reflection journal, before and after the assigned clinical or hospice day. Thematic analysis of the reflection journals was conducted. Key phrases and themes were identified, and the major themes were described. Prior to the hospice clinical or simulated educational experience, students reported feeling anxious caring for a dying patient or a patient who has just died. After the hospice clinical or simulation, students reported feeling more comfortable discussing end-of-life preferences with the patient and interdisciplinary team.

Nurse faculty perceptions of end-of-life education in the clinical setting: a phenomenological perspective.

BACKGROUND: Caring for patients at the end of life is an emotionally and physically challenging task. When patients approach the end of life, nurses are in a key position to enhance their quality of life by providing emotional support and physical symptom management. Patients and their families need nurses who are comfortable discussing various treatment options and levels of care. Therefore, it is essential that nurses receive both didactic and clinical education on end-of-life nursing care in their nursing curriculum, before entering the healthcare workforce. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of nursing clinical instructors as they guide nursing students who care for dying patients in the clinical setting. DESIGN: The research design of this study was qualitative. SETTING: This study sought to explore the experiences of nursing clinical instructors; however, due to the busy nature of hospital nursing units, participants were interviewed in a private location on their university campus. PARTICIPANTS: Ten full-time nursing faculty members participated in this study. The average time spent in a full time faculty position was 16.5 years. METHODS: A semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data was analyzed utilizing Colaizzi's method of thematic analysis. RESULTS: Six major themes emerged from the data, which will be discussed and illustrated with participants' descriptions. CONCLUSIONS: It was evident from this study that educating nursing students on care of a dying patient is not only important but essential to future nursing practice. Nurses who learn about end-of-life care from trusted nursing educators may enter the profession prepared to address patient's questions regarding end of life issues.

Nursing care at the end of life: a service learning course for undergraduate nursing students.

An elective course titled "Nursing Care at the End of Life" was designed for fourth-year nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing program. This course, taught by the authors, was designed to teach students about caring for the dying patient. Students were required to complete service learning with patients in a hospice or hospital setting. Students reported having a positive learning experience and gaining new knowledge and a deeper understanding of the needs of dying patients and their families.