Abstract

AYALA TORRES, Melanie Yajaira  and  MOYANO CALERO, Willian. Nursing students' knowledge of the fundamentals of palliative care. Revista InveCom [online]. 2025, vol.5, n.2, e502081.  Epub Mar 17, 2025. ISSN 2739-0063.  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13871706.

Palliative care represents a holistic methodology in medical practice, designed to improve the quality of life of people suffering from serious or terminal conditions, by relieving pain and other physical ailments and, at the same time, offering emotional, psychological, social and spiritual assistance to both the patient and his or her family members. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge about palliative care among nursing students at the Technical University of Ambato. A quantitative approach was used, with a non-experimental-transversal design and descriptive scope. The population consisted of 133 seventh semester students of the Nursing Career, from which a sample of 70 students was determined by simple random probability sampling, to whom the questionnaire “Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses” was applied. This questionnaire evaluates the level of knowledge about palliative care and consists of 20 items with dichotomous responses. As results it was found that 74.3% of the participants have sufficient knowledge about palliative care, of which 76.1% are women. Pain and symptom management (74.3%) and Philosophy and principles (62.9%) are the dimensions with the most correct questions. However, the Psychological and spiritual dimension (41.3%) is considered the dimension with the least correct questions. Pain management is the most understood dimension. And, although students show favorable attitudes, it is still essential to increase their academic training in the philosophical and psychosocial dimensions of palliative care.

Keywords : palliative care; terminally ill; knowledge; nursing.

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