The effectiveness of aesthetic care training on nurses’ perceptions of end-of-life care in patients with cancer: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Background Supportive end-of-life care plays a significant role for patients with cancer. Significantly, art and aesthetics in nursing are regarded as key components of nursing practice. They may contribute to supportive end-of-life care that nurses provide for patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of aesthetic care training on nurses’ perceptions of end-of-life care in patients with cancer. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups of nurses working in the oncology wards of two hospitals in Kerman, Iran. A sample consisting of 100 nurses was selected by census and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 49) and a control group (n = 51). The experimental group received educational workshops on aesthetic care over four weekly-held 90-minute sessions. Both groups completed the Oncology Nurses’ Perceptions of End-Of-Life Care (ONPEoLC) Scale before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 21 using t-test, Chi-square, and repeated measures ANOVA. The significance level was set to p < 0.05. Results The mean baseline scores on the ONPEoLC Scale were 163.08 ± 13.58 in the experimental group and 163.27 ± 14.57 in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Post-intervention mean scores in the experimental and control groups were 187.1 ± 18.22 and 159.11 ± 22.11, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). One month after the intervention, the experimental and control groups’ mean scores were 190.89 ± 11.13 and 165.80 ± 11.69, respectively, with a significant difference between the groups (P = 0.001). Conclusion Based on the results of the present study, designing aesthetic care educational programs is an effective way to improve nurses’ understanding of end-of-life care. Therefore, it is recommended that nursing faculties and educational policymakers utilize aesthetic care training to improve the nurses’ perceptions of end-of-life care.