Palliative and End-of-Life Care Education in Undergraduate, Pre-Licensure Nursing Program Curriculums: The Lived Experience of Students

The purpose of this qualitative study with a transcendental phenomenological approach is to investigate and describe nursing students’ experience with palliative and end-of-life care education within their undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing program curriculum. The study utilizes Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory as its theoretical framework to answer the central research question and three sub-questions. The central research question is: what are nursing students' lived experiences with palliative and end-of-life care education within their undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing program curriculum? Twelve senior level nursing students participated in the study. The data collection methods included one-on-one interviews, observations, and journal entries. Data was analyzed using horizontalization and generating themes from study participants’ significant statements in interviews and journal entries, as well observations of students in the clinical setting. Five themes emerged from the analysis: (1) personal experiences with end-of-life and palliative care, (2) impact of education, (3) more practice opportunities, (4) faculty, (5) preparedness in the clinical setting. Nursing students lived experiences with palliative and end-of-life care education in undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing programs warrant more investigation. The participants reported various experiences with palliative and end-of-life care education, noting they were grateful for the education they received and the importance of communication exercises as well as simulation and clinical experiences. However, only half of the participants reported feeling prepared to care for palliative and end-of-life care patients in the clinical setting. Participants expressed that faculty need to provide resources and be more supportive of students following difficult clinical days.