Sandra Martins Pereira1,2,3, Pablo Hernández-Marrero1,2,3, H Roeline Pasman4, Manuel Luís Capelas5, Philip Larkin6, Anneke L Francke4,7. 1. Católica Porto Business School, CEGE: Research Centre in Management and Economics, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal. 2. Instituto de Bioética, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal. 3. UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal. 4. Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 5. Portuguese Observatory for Palliative Care, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal. 6. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), UNIL | Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 7. Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurses are the largest regulated group of healthcare professionals involved in palliative care. In 2004, a taskforce of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) launched the 'Guide for development of palliative nurse education in Europe' (hereinafter, the EAPC 2004 Guide). No systematic evaluation of its impact in the development of palliative care education was undertaken. AIMS: To describe current undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education across Europe; to identify the roles that nurses with different palliative care educational levels have in palliative care; and to assess the uptake of the EAPC 2004 Guide in the development of palliative care nursing in Europe. DESIGN: Descriptive research involving an online survey among nursing experts, and the consultation of national representatives. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 135 nurses (52% response rate) from 25 countries completed the online survey; representatives from 16 countries were consulted. RESULTS: In 14 (56%) countries, palliative care was not identified as a mandatory subject within undergraduate nursing education. The EAPC 2004 Guide is widely known and was/is being used in many countries to promote palliative care nursing education. Large variations were found across and within country responses. CONCLUSIONS: Palliative care nursing education varies largely in Europe. The wide awareness and use of the EAPC 2004 Guide show how policy measures can influence the development of palliative care education. Recommendations are built and focus on both fostering the use of this guide and implementing policy measures to ensure that palliative care nursing is recognised and certified as a specialty in all European countries.
BACKGROUND: Nurses are the largest regulated group of healthcare professionals involved in palliative care. In 2004, a taskforce of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) launched the 'Guide for development of palliative nurse education in Europe' (hereinafter, the EAPC 2004 Guide). No systematic evaluation of its impact in the development of palliative care education was undertaken. AIMS: To describe current undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education across Europe; to identify the roles that nurses with different palliative care educational levels have in palliative care; and to assess the uptake of the EAPC 2004 Guide in the development of palliative care nursing in Europe. DESIGN: Descriptive research involving an online survey among nursing experts, and the consultation of national representatives. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 135 nurses (52% response rate) from 25 countries completed the online survey; representatives from 16 countries were consulted. RESULTS: In 14 (56%) countries, palliative care was not identified as a mandatory subject within undergraduate nursing education. The EAPC 2004 Guide is widely known and was/is being used in many countries to promote palliative care nursing education. Large variations were found across and within country responses. CONCLUSIONS: Palliative care nursing education varies largely in Europe. The wide awareness and use of the EAPC 2004 Guide show how policy measures can influence the development of palliative care education. Recommendations are built and focus on both fostering the use of this guide and implementing policy measures to ensure that palliative care nursing is recognised and certified as a specialty in all European countries.
Entities:
Keywords:
Palliative care; competencies; curriculum; end of life care; guidelines; hospice and palliative care nursing; nursing education; online survey; professional competence; professional education
Authors: Carla Reigada; Santiago Hermida-Romero; Anna Sandgren; Beatriz Gómez; Inés Olza; Alejandro Navas; Carlos Centeno Journal: Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being Date: 2021-12