Oncology Nurses’ Confidence in Providing Palliative Care.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background: The number of people with cancer continues to increase in the United States with the graying of baby boom generation resulting in an increased demand for cancer care. Patients with cancer suffer from complex health issues including high symptom burden, psychological distress, and diminished quality of life. Palliative care can help manage symptom burden and improve the quality of lives of patients with cancer and their families. Oncology nurses are consistent providers of care to patients with cancer throughout the illness trajectory. They play a crucial role in providing palliative care to patients with cancer. However, most often oncology nurses lack education and training in providing appropriate palliative care and feel stressed when providing palliative care. Little is known about the confidence of oncology nurses in delivering palliative care to patients with cancer.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine oncology nurses’ confidence in providing the eight domains of palliative care as posited by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP) guidelines. One of the main purposes of this study was also to validate the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence (PCNSC) Scale in oncology nurses’ population in the United States.Methods: A descriptive correlational design using an online survey methodology was employed. Registered nurses who provided care to patients with cancer were recruited from the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) listserv. Participants completed an online survey that consisted of a demographic form, a confidence scale, and two open ended questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics and multiple regression analysis. All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS.Results: The results of this study revealed that most of the oncology nurses were somewhat confident to confident in providing palliative care. Results of correlational analysis and multiple regression analysis revealed that years of experience as an oncology nurse and palliative care training were associated with nurses’ confidence in providing palliative care to patients with cancer. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the PCNSC scale retained the same 10 factor structure as the original PCNSC scale. In terms of meaning of the term “palliative care”, most participants regarded it as “symptom management” and oncology nurses needed to learn more about several areas of palliative care that were consistent with NCP’s 8 domains of palliative care which are structure and process of care, physical aspects of care, psychological and psychiatric aspects of care, social aspects of care, spiritual, religious, and existential aspects of care, care of the patients nearing the end of life, and ethical and legal aspects of care.Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first nationally representative study that examined oncology nurses’ confidence in providing palliative care. The results of this study will help design interventions geared towards enhancing oncology nurses’ confidence in providing palliative care to patients with cancer and their families.