Influence of palliative care training on nurses’ attitudes towards end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

Chisbert-Alapont, E. ; García-Salvador, I. ; Ossa-Sendra, M.J. de la ; García-Navarro, E.B. ; Rica Escuin, M.L. de la (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Aim: This study aims to assess the influence of training on nurses’ attitudes toward end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic alarm state in Spain. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Data collection was carried out by means of an ad hoc questionnaire using Google Forms in April and May 2020. The score of attitudes toward end-of-life care was used, to which sociodemographic variables and training in palliative care were added. Methods: Data were collected from 238 nursing professionals who had cared for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 adult patients at the end-of-life stage in a hospital or nursing home. Results: Results showed that 51% of the nurses in the sample had training in palliative care. However, the percentage decreased to 38.5% among those who cared for COVID-19 patients and to 44.5% in those who cared for non-COVID-19 patients. In relation to attitudes about end-of-life care, more positive attitudes and a higher mean score were found in the trained group. Conclusions: Palliative care training is a key element in end-of-life care and is even more important in times of COVID-19. Impact: Although end-of-life accompaniment has been studied, few studies have included the influence of training on this during the pandemic. This study identifies key elements of accompaniment and training in a comparison of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. In relation to attitudes toward end-of-life care, the results showed a more positive attitude and a higher mean score in the trained group (3.43 ± 0.37 versus 3.21 ± 0.32), the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111249

Año: 2021

Publicado en: International journal of environmental research and public health 18, 21 (2021), 11249[13 pp.]
ISSN: 1661-7827

Factor impacto JCR: 4.614 (2021)

Categ. JCR: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH rank: 45 / 183 = 0.246 (2021) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH rank: 71 / 210 = 0.338 (2021) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES rank: 100 / 279 = 0.358 (2021) - Q2 - T2

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 4.5 - Medicine (Q2) - Environmental Science (Q2)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.814 - Pollution (Q1) - Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Enfermería (Dpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería)