The Effect of the Difficulties Faced by Palliative Care Nurses on Perceived Quality of Palliative Care: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

AimThis study examined how the difficulties experienced by palliative care nurses while providing care affect the quality of palliative care perceived by nurses.BackgroundThe increase in chronic diseases with the ageing population has brought about a greater need for palliative care. Palliative care nurses play a central role in improving patients' quality of life, while also facing emotional and physical challenges. The impact of these challenges on nurses' job satisfaction and the quality of care provided constitutes a critical area of research for understanding the effectiveness of palliative care services.MethodThe study was conducted in a descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational design with nurses working in palliative care services (N = 243) in T & uuml;rkiye between October 2023 and March 2024. The data were collected through an introductory form, The Palliative Nursing Care Quality Scale and the Palliative Care Difficulties Scale. The relationship between the two variables was examined using Pearson correlation analysis, while the impact of palliative care challenges and education level on perceived palliative care quality was investigated through multiple linear regression analysis.ResultsIn this study, the data were normally distributed and it was found that the nurses' total mean score was 72.42 +/- 8.26 (min: 18-max: 90) on the Palliative Nursing Care Quality Scale and 40.85 +/- 10.50 (min: 15-max: 75) on the Palliative Care Difficulties Scale. Total mean palliative care quality score was found to be significantly higher among nurses with postgraduate degrees. Moreover, the palliative care difficulty scores were significantly higher for males, nurses with palliative experience of 1 year or less, and those who did not select the palliative care unit willingly. A negative correlation was observed between the nurses' quality of palliative care and their palliative care difficulties.ConclusionIt was seen that perceived quality of palliative care decreased as the difficulties encountered in palliative care increased. It is recommended to develop training programmes tailored for nurses and ensure continuous professional development to reduce the difficulties nurses face in palliative care and enhance the perceived quality of palliative care.