Investigating the impact of palliative care training on perceived self-efficacy and moral distress of critical care nurses

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background: Nurses’ knowledge and self-efficacy in palliative care significantly influence the quality of care provided to patients and their families. Self-efficacy is a key predictor of the quality of palliative care. This study aimed to examine the effect of palliative care education on the self-efficacy and moral distress of critical care nurses. Materials and Methods: A semiexperimental study was conducted involving 40 intensive care nurses. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. Data collection tools included the Palliative Care Self-Efficacy Scale and the Corley Moral Distress Questionnaire. Palliative care training sessions were conducted over four sessions at Rajaee Cardiovascular, Medical, and Research Institute. Post-tests were administered two weeks after the intervention concluded. Data were analyzed using Shapiro–Wilk, Mann–Whitney U, and Wilcoxon tests, with all analyses performed using SPSS version 22. Results: The mean age of the nurses was 36.01 ± 9.10 years, with an average work experience of 11.16 ± 8.09 years. Before the intervention, nurses scored 57% of the total self-efficacy score (13.81 ± 6.20) in symptom management. Postintervention, 78% of the total self-efficacy score (18.73 ± 4.49) was attributed to psychological and social domains, while symptom management accounted for 73% of the total score (17.63 ± 5.02). In the intervention group, palliative care self-efficacy scores increased by 16.07 ± 9.65 ( P < 0.001). In addition, the level of moral distress in the intervention group decreased by 16.47 ± 45.73 points compared with baseline ( P = 0.025). Conclusion: Palliative care training enhances the self-efficacy of nurses in psychosocial support and symptom management while reducing moral distress. Despite certain limitations, this study provides valuable insights, indicating that a short-term, cost-effective educational program can have a positive impact on nursing practice. These findings are relevant for policymakers and healthcare professionals, emphasizing the need for evidence-based managerial and educational initiatives in palliative care.