Survey shows 'woeful' lack of basic training in end-of-life care

Survey shows 'woeful' lack of basic training in end-of-life care
Laura Doherty. Nursing Standard. Harrow-on-the-Hill:
Dec 3-Dec 9, 2008. Vol. 23, Iss. 13, p. 6 (1 pp.)

Full Text Copyright RCN Publishing Company Dec 3-Dec 9, 2008

Four out of five nurses lack basic pre-registration training in end-of-life care, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).
An RCN survey of 200 nurses carried out for the NAO found that only 1 8 per cent of nurses had received pre-registration training in end-of-life care, and only 15 per cent had undertaken training in communicating with patients approaching the end of their life.

Commenting on the NAO's End of Life Care report, released last week, RCN nursing adviser Sue Thomas said there is a 'woeful' lack of investment in training for nurses and other healthcare staff.

'If we want to improve and extend services we have to prioritise training for staff in all settings and address the dramatic variations in the funding of palliative care services,' she said.
The NAO recommended that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) uses its ongoing review of pre- registration nursing education to improve the level of basic training in end-of-life care. An NMC spokesperson told Nursing Standard that higher education institutes have included new 'essential skills clusters' in pre-registration nursing curriculums since September. These include care and compassion, communication, and nutrition and fluid maintenance.