Nursing Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Death Attitude Regarding Palliative Care: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Abstract

Nursing staff are the main implementers of palliative care and nursing students are the main reserve of palliative care staff, and the importance of palliative care education in China is increasing. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey was surveyed from November 2020 and January 2021 in Chongqing China. The survey included the Revised Chinese version of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing, palliative care attitude questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised. The final sample consisted of 1168 nursing students (response rate = 91.5%). The median knowledge was 11.00 (9.00, 12.00), and among the four areas of knowledge, the use of pain medication and psychosocial and spiritual care were less correct, 29.9% and 43.3%, respectively. 63.10% of students scored seven points or more on attitudes regarding palliative care and they had highest scores on neutral acceptance in the attitude of death. In addition, we only found a correlation between knowledge and attitudes. The results of this study showed that nursing students' attitudes toward palliative care and death are positive and should be continued and sustained, but there are still deficiencies in hospice knowledge, and we should increase education and learning content in this problematic area. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that systematic and comprehensive palliative care education be introduced into the Chinese nursing curriculum.