Palliative Approach to Care Education for Multidisciplinary Staff of Long-Term Care Homes: A Pretest Post-Test Study

Abstract

This study used a single-group pre-test and post-test design to evaluate an educational workshop for multidisciplinary staff working in long-term care homes on implementing a palliative approach to care and perceptions about advanced care planning conversations. Two outcomes were measured to assess the preliminary efficacy of the educational workshop at baseline and 1-month post-intervention. Knowledge regarding implementing a palliative approach to care was assessed using the End-of-Life Professional Caregivers Survey and changes in staff perception toward ACP conversations were assessed using the Staff Perceptions Survey. Findings suggest that staff experienced an improvement in self-reported knowledge regarding a palliative approach to care ( p ≤ .001); and perceptions of knowledge, attitude, and comfort related to advance care planning discussions ( p ≤ .027). The results indicate that educational workshops can assist in improving multidisciplinary staff’s knowledge about a palliative approach to care and comfort in carrying out advance care planning discussions with residents, family care partners, and among long-term care staff.

Navigating end-of-life decision-making in nursing: a systematic review of ethical challenges and palliative care practices

“…These findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive educational initiatives, organizational support systems, and the fostering of collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to equip nurses with the necessary competencies and coping mechanisms to navigate the ethical complexities of end-of-life care [ 85 ]. Furthermore, the studies suggest the need for longitudinal research to evaluate the impact of standardized training programs, organizational changes, and multidisciplinary interventions in enhancing ethical decision-making and palliative care practices across diverse healthcare settings [ 86 , 87 ].…”