The effect of education on nursing personnel's knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of integrative care techniques with hospice and palliative care patients

PURPOSE To examine the effect of education on nursing personnel's knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oils with hospice and palliative care patients. BACKGROUND Unrelieved, end of life pain is common among hospitalized patients on hospice and palliative care units. Integrative care techniques such as hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oils can be available to use with these individuals. Nursing personnel are often unaware of other techniques that are not a traditional pharmacology approach to pain. METHODS A quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on nursing personnel's knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of three integrative care techniques (hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oils) with hospice and palliative care patients in an acute care setting. Data on knowledge and attitudes were collected pre- and postintervention. RESULTS Following the intervention, improvements in nursing personnel's attitudes and knowledge toward the use of the three techniques were found. CONCLUSION Results of this study suggest that education of nursing personnel may positively influence knowledge and attitudes toward providing hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oil for end of life patients.