IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DE UM PROGRAMA DE FORMAÇÃO EM CUIDADOS PALIATIVOS NO ENSINO PRÉ-GRADUADO EM ENFERMAGEM

Identifier:  TDX:1420

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX1420

Authors:  Francisco Lima, Timothy

Abstract:
The undergraduate nursing education, concerning Palliative Care training has several weaknesses, namely in Portugal. Many nurses and students have difficulties dealing with death and refer anxiety and lack of preparedness while caring of terminally ill people. Most courses leading to a nursing degree do not meet the recommendations of the EAPC and APCP for these professionals in the area of palliative care, particularly in terms of programmatic content and workload. This study aims to answer the following research question: What is the impact of an optional training program in palliative care among a group of undergraduated nursing students in a nursing school in Portugal? The study design is framed in the typology of Action Research (A-R), a modality of qualitative research. As a result of the palliative care course, 4 dimensions emerged that contributed to the knowledge of the nursing students: Repercussions of the training course within the student’s knowledge; Repercussions of the training course in the care provided to the patients; Repercussions of the training course in the care provided to the families of the patients; and Repercussions of the training course in the emotional well-being and coping of the students. There was a significant contribution of the palliative care course during clinical practice. The perception that the students had about the importance of a training course in palliative care was noticeable as a form of awakening for specific situations, as well as an increase in confidence while caring terminally ill patients. By implementing this training course, students expanded their knowledge concerning palliative care, and how they can be applied, helping them to be attentive to certain details related to the philosophy of such care, which reflected on the way they acted in clinical practice, through the acquisition of core competencies that derived from the training course.