Factors That Influence End-of-Life Care Provided by Nurses in General Hospitals

Nurses often play key roles in providing end-of-life care. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence end-of-life care delivered by nurses in South Korea. As a method, a cross-sectional descriptive survey design was applied. The data were collected through self-reported questionnaires from 233 nurses working at intensive care units and medical-surgical wards of general hospitals in Seoul and the Gyeonggi Province. The structured questionnaires measured end-of-life care performance, knowledge of advanced directives, death awareness, and nursing stress. Data analysis was applied using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 23 program. The predictive variables that influence end-of-life care performance were as follows: good death awareness, educational experience related to hospice care, nursing stress, and knowledge of advance directives. This explanatory model was explained by 19.1% of variances. Based on this findings, we recommend developing a training program for nurses to improve good death awareness, knowledge of advance directives, and strategies to reduce nursing stress. Well-trained nurses may provide better care for patients at their end of lives.