Factors affecting nurses' willingness and competency to provide anticipatory grief counseling for family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer

Aim and objectives To explore factors associated with nurses' willingness and competency to provide anticipatory grief counselling for the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer. Background Family caregivers often experience anticipatory grief due to the imminence of a loved one's death. However, few studies have identified factors associated with nurses' willingness or competency to provide anticipatory grief counselling for the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer. Methods This descriptive correlational study recruited a convenience sample of nurses from cancer-related wards at a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. The Anticipatory Grief Counseling Willingness Scale and Anticipatory Grief Counseling Competency Scale were employed. This cross-sectional study followed the STROBE checklist. Results The nurses' average scores for willingness and competency to provide anticipatory grief counselling for the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer were 44.28 +/- 8.36 and 171.84 +/- 30.83, respectively. Multivariate linear regression revealed that interest in participating in anticipatory grief counselling for the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer was significantly associated with the nurses' willingness to provide such counselling. Similarly, their willingness to provide such counselling was significantly associated with their counselling competency. Conclusions Nurses' willingness and competency to provide anticipatory grief counselling for the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer can be enhanced through in-service education programmes, including bedside teaching and scenario simulation. Relevance to clinical practice To improve nurses' competency in anticipatory grief counselling for the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer, factors related to nurses' willingness to provide such grief counselling must be addressed. Diverse strategies of in-service education can be adopted to promote nurses' competency in anticipatory grief counselling.