Awareness of palliative care among general nursing and midwifery nurses in nursing institutes of Assam by palliative care quiz for nursing tool

Maruf H. Barbhuiya; Arun Deka; Dimpy Mazumdar; Shantana Das; Nivedita Upamanyu

doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20233842

Authors

Maruf H. Barbhuiya Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, State Cancer Institute, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India
Arun Deka Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, State Cancer Institute, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India
Dimpy Mazumdar Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, State Cancer Institute, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India
Shantana Das Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, State Cancer Institute, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India
Nivedita Upamanyu Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, State Cancer Institute, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20233842

Keywords:

Palliative care, GNM, Awareness, PCQN, Nurses

Abstract

Background: Amidst the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases and an aging populace, the demand for palliative care (PC) is escalating. Nurses, as primary caregivers in healthcare, play a pivotal role in providing PC. Assessing their current knowledge levels is crucial for devising targeted strategies to address deficiencies and enhance the quality of palliative care delivery.

Methods: A survey-based study was done in 10 nursing institute across Assam which were selected randomly after obtaining ethical committee clearance from the institute. A total of 239 participants filled the questionnaires. The questionnaire contained 2 parts; sociodemographic characteristics and palliative care quiz for nursing (PCQN) which is a validated questionnaire consisting of 20 items that measures nurses’ knowledge of palliative care. The responses to the statements in the PCQN will be: true, false, and I don’t know. A correct answer was scored 1 while an incorrect or I don’t know was scored 0, giving a maximum score of 20. A score equal to or less than ≤10 on PCQN was considered inadequate knowledge while a score >10 was considered adequate knowledge.

Results: 55% participants had adequate knowledge about palliative care and the mean PCQN score was 12.59±5.8. P value was found to be significant which means those with prior knowledge of palliative care had good score.

Conclusions: This study underscores a positive shift in palliative care awareness among nursing students, attributed to curriculum integration. However, targeted improvements are needed, especially in psychosocial and spiritual aspects, to enhance patient care and attitudes.

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