Development and evaluation of an education program for professional palliative care nursing.

PURPOSE This study aimed to develop a "Palliative Care Professional" education program and evaluate its effects on the recognition of good death, palliative care, and the meaning of life for nurses. METHODS It was developed based on the hospice care program for volunteers being used in the Hospice Palliative Care Research Center of S University in Seoul. It was also based on the studies which investigated the educational needs of nurses in palliative care. This program consisted of 5 sessions and 16 content items for 2 weeks. A non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design was utilized and participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=42) or the control group (n=44). RESULTS The recognition of a good death (F=11.44, p=.001), palliative care (F=4.15, p=.045), and the meaning of life (F=5.12, p=.026) increased more significantly for participants in the experimental group than in the control group. Participants felt that they gained further knowledge in palliative patient management and refined their clinical practice. CONCLUSION The results of the study indicate that this program could serve as a practical program for palliative care nursing in the nursing field and suggests that more attention should be directed to the diverse educational needs of nurses.