DETERMINING the VIEWS of PEDIATRIC NURSES on the IMPORTANCE of CHILDREN’S HOSPICES and THEIR ESTABLISHMENT IN TURKEY

Abstract

Objectives: This research was conducted to determine the opinions of nurses working in the field of pediatrics in Turkey about the importance of child hospices and its establishment in Turkey. Methods: The research population consisted of 365 individuals who actively served as pediatric nurses in Turkey. A descriptive questionnaire on children’s hospices/palliative care at the end of life and a scale form for determining the opinions of the nurses working in pediatrics at children’s hospices were used to obtain the data. Result: Of the nurses who participated in the study; 60.82% were female and 39.18% were male.43.01% thought the country does not need any more children’s hospice services, 42.47% considered that developing them in Turkey would not happen due to a lack of information and training about hospices of these services and 95.92% stated that the country needs more children’s hospices. Conclusion: The fact that nurses who could take an active role in the establishment of pediatric hospices and palliative care applications, lack of basic training in hospice care and experience in advanced care practices will affect the perspective of children’s hospices. In Turkey, pediatric nurses do not have enough knowledge about hospices. The fact that nurses and their families do not have sufficient knowledge on this subject is an obstacle to the further establishment in children’s hospices in Turkey.