Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Project Mentor

Jenny Curwen

Readers

Courtney Foss

Abstract

Introduction: High-quality end-of-life (EOL) care necessitates both effective symptom management and therapeutic communication with patients and families. Nurses often report knowledge gaps in symptom management and discomfort when engaging in sensitive conversations during EOL care.

Methods: Neuro-nurses at a tertiary care hospital were invited to participate in an educational intervention focused on EOL symptom management and communication. The training occurred during both day and night clinical shifts. Effectiveness was measured using pre- and postintervention assessments adapted from validated questionnaires. All responses collected anonymously via REDCap.

Results: Post-intervention, 83% of participants showed improved scores in the knowledge assessment, with an average increase of 42.03%. Nurses with 7–10 years of experience (n = 2) demonstrated the highest improvement at 73.81%, followed by nurses with 1–3 years of experience (n = 11) who improved by 52.36%. Comfort levels in EOL communication increased on average 22.03% post-intervention, with the greatest improvement seen in emotionally complex discussions involving spiritual concerns and symptom management. Early-career nurses demonstrated the most improvement in culturally and spiritually sensitive communication.

Conclusion: The educational program demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing nurses’ knowledge in EOL symptom management and comfort in communication. Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs) can utilize these findings to provide targeted education, mentor nursing staff, and promote culturally sensitive, evidence-based EOL care across interdisciplinary teams.

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