New Directions in Pediatric Palliative Care Education for Preclinical Medical and Nursing Students
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
New Directions in Pediatric Palliative Care Education for Preclinical Medical and Nursing Students Kan Yin Wong 1 & Wai Tak Victor Li 1 & Pui Yu Yiu 1 & Tsz Kiu Tong 1 & On Hang Ching 1 & Lok Yin Leung 1 & Tsz Yau Cheung 1 & Sze Chai Chan 1 & Hoi Ying Law 1 & Cheuk Hei Cheng 1
# International Association of Medical Science Educators 2020
Abstract Objectives Since insufficient education has partially contributed to challenges in providing pediatric palliative care (PPC), a cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and educational needs of preclinical medical and nursing students in Hong Kong. Methods Pretested self-administered 44-item questionnaires with written informed consent were distributed to 241 medical and nursing students at Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, between February and March 2019. This questionnaire covered eleven categories related to participants’ knowledge of and attitudes towards PPC. A convenience sampling method was used. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics, chi-squared, and Fisher’s exact test. Results Only 38.3% of participants had heard of PPC before, but 73.5% advocated for its local commencement. A large number, with more in nursing, misunderstood fundamental palliative concepts and pain assessment methods. Many reported that undergraduate curricula should include PPC since they were not prepared to deal and cope with dying children. More medical students identified multidisciplinary approaches in PPC while less believed that they were mentally prepared to discuss death and dying. The majority indicated family as the final decision maker, even for teenage patients. Although a large proportion agreed that PPC should be delivered at home since the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness, only a few were aware of the suggested referral structure. Conclusions Most healthcare students were supportive of PPC despite their limited exposure. PPC education on palliative principles, pain management, multidisciplinary approaches, and emotional coping skills is needed and welcomed among students. Keywords Pediatric palliative care . Interprofessional . Medical education . Nursing education . Undergraduate . Medical education research
Introduction Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is defined by the World Health Organization [1] as the active and total care of a child’s body, mind, and spirit, along with the care of their families. PPC begins ideally from the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-00928-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Kan Yin Wong [email protected] 1
School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
and continues with or without curative treatments [2]. Approximately 21.6 million children worldwide require some degree of specialized PPC [3], and a 2011 review revea
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