Abstract:

Objective To develop a localized clinical training program for narrative-based palliative care and to evaluate its impact on the caring ability of nursing interns and newly recruited nurses. Methods A clinical training program for palliative care was constructed based on the localized narrative nursing model and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. A convenience sampling method was used to select 46 undergraduate nursing interns and nurses with less than one year of working experience from a Grade A tertiary hospital in Jiangsu Province. A 4-week progressive clinical training program for palliative care，which included four stages of “perception-reflection-simulation-practice” based on narrative nursing，was implemented. Paired-samples t-test was used to compare the differences in scores of the Caring Ability Inventory（CAI） before and after the training. Purposive sampling was adopted to select 12 participants for one-on-one interviews focused on training experience，changes in clinical nursing ability and influencing factors. Results After the training，the total score and scores of each dimension of the CAI were significantly improved（P<0.05，Cohen’s d=1.48）. The interview data revealed a progressive growth trajectory of “attitude shift-technical comprehension-value reconstruction”. Conclusion The developed clinical training program for palliative care is conducive to cultivating the palliative care and humanistic caring ability of nursing interns and newly recruited nurses in oncology-related departments. It has good feasibility and promotion value，and can provide an initial localized scheme for palliative care training of junior nurses in oncology-related departments.

Key words: Palliative Care, In-service Training, Narrative Nursing, Humanistic Care