Hospice nurses request paediatric-specific educational resources and training programs to improve care for children and families in the community: Qualitative data analysis from a population-level survey

BACKGROUND: Children with serious illness who receive hospice care often interface with nurses who lack training, experience and comfort in the provision of paediatric palliative and hospice care. Hospice nurse preferences for paediatric-specific training are not well known. AIM: To describe the types of paediatric-specific training received and educational content preferred by hospice nurses. DESIGN: Population-level dissemination of a cross-sectional survey with qualitative analysis of open-ended survey items. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Nurses from 71 community-based hospice organizations across 3 states completed the survey. CONCLUSIONS: Hospice nurses self-report inadequate exposure to educational resources and programs, in conjunction with a strong desire for increased paediatric-specific training. Identification of targetable gaps should inform the development of educational resources, policies and other supportive interventions to improve delivery of care to children and families in the community.