The Vital Role of Iraqi Nurses Knowledge in Palliative Care

Abstract

Palliative care (PC) is one of the significant components of modern health care systems, a service that provides patients with the highest quality of life during the period of life-threatening illnesses. Although nurses are the main service deliverers of PC, deficits in knowledge may compromise the quality of the service they offer. At present, this cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the level of knowledge regarding PC among the Registered Nurses in Thi-Qar Governorate- Iraq so as to determine areas for educational intervention. Study employed a cross-sectional design, and the participants were 450 nurses working in Thi-Qar governorate, Iraq in the period of October 2023 to January 2024. The researcher-developed tool used to gather information on sociodemographic and tested the domain of PC, such as symptom control, ethical issues, and communication. Data analysis was carried out using the analysis program SPSS whereby descriptive analysis in addition to multiple regression was utilized with the aim of identifying correlation in-between the demographic factors and knowledge in PC. The study revealed a wide range of PC knowledge among participants. While nurses demonstrated relatively good understanding in areas like adjuvant therapies and bowel management for opioid use, significant knowledge gaps were evident in understanding the broader applications of PC and common misconceptions surrounding opioid use. Notably, older nurses and those without specific PC training scored significantly lower on the knowledge assessment. Conversely, nurses working in intensive care units consistently demonstrated higher knowledge levels. These findings highlight the crucial need for targeted and ongoing PC education among Iraqi nurses. Educational interventions should address identified knowledge gaps, particularly concerning the comprehensive nature of PC and accurate information about opioid use, ultimately improving the quality of end-of-life care for patients and their families.