Due to changes in the healthcare environment, the place of death has shifted from home to hospitals. In particular, intensive care units (ICUs) have become spaces where not only intensive treatment for critically ill patients but also frequent patient...
Due to changes in the healthcare environment, the place of death has shifted from home to hospitals. In particular, intensive care units (ICUs) have become spaces where not only intensive treatment for critically ill patients but also frequent patient deaths occur. ICU nurses play a pivotal role in end-of-life (EOL) care, and their professional knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors—collectively referred to as EOL care competence—are essential for providing effective care. Furthermore, a supportive organizational atmosphere and communication environment are required to strengthen these competencies. A positive nursing organizational culture enhances job satisfaction, improves nursing performance, and creates an environment where nurses can fully exercise their competencies. Effective communication reduces the psychological burden on patients and their families, facilitates efficient decision-making and teamwork among healthcare professionals, and ultimately improves patient outcomes. However, limited research has comprehensively examined the impact of organizational culture and communication on the EOL care competence of ICU nurses. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the effects of positive nursing organizational culture and communication satisfaction on EOL care competence among ICU nurses.
This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 145 ICU nurses working in an adult ICU at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires assessing positive nursing organizational culture, communication satisfaction, and EOL care competence. Positive nursing organizational culture was measured using the tool developed by Kim and Kim (2021), communication satisfaction using Ahn and Kim’s (2013) tool, and EOL care competence using the instrument originally developed by Montagnini et al. (2012) and later modified by Lee (2015). Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 29.0, employing independent t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis.
The mean scores of ICU nurses were 3.60±0.52 for EOL care competence, 3.71±0.59 for positive nursing organizational culture, and 3.44±0.56 for communication satisfaction. EOL care competence significantly differed by gender (t=2.04, p=.004), frequency of EOL care provision (t=-2.61, p=.01), and EOL care education experience (t=2.37, p=.02). Male nurses, nurses who provided EOL care at least once per week, and those with prior EOL care education reported significantly higher competence. EOL care competence showed significant positive correlations with positive nursing organizational culture (r=.520, p<.001) and communication satisfaction (r=.623, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that both positive nursing organizational culture and communication satisfaction significantly influenced EOL care competence, explaining 39.8% of the variance (F=48.668, p<.001). The strongest predictor was communication satisfaction (β=.469, p<.001), followed by positive nursing organizational culture (β=.174, p=.046).
This study empirically confirmed the effects of positive nursing organizational culture and communication satisfaction on ICU nurses’ EOL care competence, highlighting the necessity of organizational and educational strategies to improve the quality of EOL care. These findings may serve as foundational data for developing educational programs aimed at strengthening EOL care competence among ICU nurses.