Final-year nursing undergraduates’ understandings of palliative care: a qualitative study in Wales, UK

BACKGROUND: With worldwide population ageing and the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, government policies promoting palliative care, and evidence of disparate or even blurred conceptions of palliative care, it is important for educators and practitioners who support undergraduate nurses to establish how these students conceptualise palliative care. Today's students are tomorrow's nurses, and their understanding will shape the ways in which palliative care is integrated into their professional practice. AIM: The aim of this work was to explore nursing undergraduates' understandings of palliative care. METHODS: As part of a larger qualitative study of palliative care for people with advanced dementia, 11 final-year adult-field nursing undergraduates' understandings of palliative care were explored through in-depth individual interviews. The data was subject to thematic content analysis. FINDINGS: The analysis revealed that the participants were cognisant of the broad scope of palliative care. Moreover, they valued and appreciated compassionate comfort care and emotional support. However, their understanding was rather superficial and focused on the imminently dying phase. CONCLUSION: The findings are positive as they indicate that the participants appreciated and valued compassionate person- and family-centred care. However, they also illuminate where undergraduate nurse education could be further enhanced.