LAUSR

BACKGROUND The surge in number of people needing palliative care services along with the deficit in nursing knowledge in in this field are challenges to be addressed in order to ensure higher quality end of life life care. AIM The aim of this cross-sectional, exploratory pilot study was to assess nurses' knowledge in palliative care using the palliative care knowledge test (PCKT). METHOD Descriptive analysis and correlations were carried out. FINDINGS Nurses showed insufficient knowledge in palliative care; 52% had a poor level (≤18 points) and 48% a fair level (19-28) of knowledge. No participants scored more than 73% in the total PCKT score. Nurses scored poorest in the management of dyspnoea and psychiatric problems. CONCLUSION This pilot study demonstrated that promoting continuous education in palliative care is needed to provide quality care to terminally ill patients.