Predicted difficulties, educational needs, and interest in working in end of life care among nursing and medical students

Abstract Background The need to provide care for the dying patient and his/her family may occur in every medical setting. Newly graduated nurses and physicians should therefore be prepared to deliver it at a high-quality level. Objectives To explore (a) the primary difficulties participants anticipate they will encounter whilst working with dying patients, (b) their interest in developing competencies in caring for dying patients, and (c) their interest in working in palliative/hospice settings or with dying patients in the future. Design A cross-sectional study. Settings A medical university in Poland. Participants Convenience sample of nursing (=112) and medical students (=101) at the end of their undergraduate education. Methods Questionnaire distributed online and in hard-copy format. Results Half of the participants anticipated experiencing various emotional and professional difficulties in caring for dying individuals, especially medical students. These difficulties pertained mostly the reaction of family members to the patient's death, addressing the psychological needs of the dying person, and coping with his/her own emotions when dealing with the patient's death. Students reported that working with dying patients could cause occupational stress – more so among medical students. The majority of them showed an interest in improving knowledge regarding palliative care and also in this case this was mostly true of medical rather than nursing students. However, more than half of the participants preferred avoiding work in palliative/hospice settings, with no differences between the two groups. Participants attributed this attitude to two factors: (a) the desire to avoid negative emotions and stress that could be triggered by dealing with death and dying; and (b) because they felt they lacked the required skills and personal abilities to handle such situations. Conclusions Undergraduate curricula that include strategies for coping with negative emotions associated with facing the process of death and dying should be developed. Interprofessional education should be encouraged, especially regarding the psychosocial aspects of end-of-life care.