Enhancing Nurses’ Comfort and Capability With End-of-Life Care for Patients With Cancer

Many nurses express a lack of comfort and capability in caring for patients who are dying. Insufficient end-of-life (EOL) education, experience, and support can contribute to these sentiments. This quality improvement project evaluated the impact of using an EOL order set in the electronic health record, which included evidence-based medications and structured symptom assessments, on nurses’ self-perceived comfort and capability to provide EOL care. An education program accompanied the intervention. There was a statistically significant difference in the comfort and capability scores of nurses who used the EOL order set compared to nurses who did not. Results suggest that a structured order set to provide appropriate medications and focused nursing assessments can enhance nurse comfort and capability when delivering EOL care.

At a Glance:

• As the population ages and cancer incidence rises, care of the dying is becoming a significant part of bedside nursing practice.
• Standardized evidence-based order sets can address knowledge deficits on end-of-life care.
• Providing support and education can enhance nurses’ comfort and ability to provide care.