Only 5% of nursing professionals receive training specific in palliative care.
A University study, based on surveys of 165 professionals from six hospitals, published in 'International Journal of Palliative Nursing'.
PHOTO: Manuel Castells
Only 5% of nursing professionals have received specific training in palliative care during the university degree program according to a study carried out at the University of Navarra and which has led to the publication of a article in the International Journal of Palliative Nursing.
According to María Arantzamendi and María Isabel Saracíbar, professors at School de Enfermería and authors of work,"68% of those surveyed considered that the training received at that stage did not prepare them to care for terminally ill patients".
The text, in which professors from the University of Southampton (UK) also collaborated, is part of a study that aimed to explore the Degree preparation of nurses and the impact that this training has on the care provided, on a total of 165 professionals from six hospitals in Navarra.
The results derived from the survey, which had a response rate of 65%, show that while 90% of respondents said they felt competent in physical care, 35% said they were not prepared to provide emotional care to these patients. This is consistent with their perception of the quality of care they provide: 88% felt that the physical care patients receive is good or very good, but 25% felt that the psychological care provided is poor or very poor.
Emotional support
In the opinion of Professor Arantzamendi,"the data coincide with what is observed in the nurses' daily work : the necessary basic care is provided but few interactions are evident in which what matters to the patient is discussed".
More than half of nurses want training on how to counsel the patient, handle difficult questions or provide emotional support. In this regard, 65% perceive nurses like themselves as an important support source , and only 31% see the same in their superiors.
Therefore, the authors conclude that "it is difficult for nurses to invest in the emotional and psychological care of terminally ill patients if they do not feel empowered and supported by their supervisors. In addition to a supportive environment for nurses , it is necessary to promote the training in Palliative Care to improve the care provided to people with advanced or terminal illness status ".