Factors Influencing the Performance of Palliative Care Roles among Community Nurses, Maha Sarakham Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64767/trcn.2025.275288Keywords:
palliative care, end of life patient, role performance, community nurse, predictorsAbstract
Community nurses play a crucial role in providing palliative care for end-of-life patients at home, as they are the primary care personnel with the closest connections to individuals and communities. However, factors predicting their performance in this role have not been studied comprehensively or in sufficient depth. This predictive correlational study aimed to study the role of community nurses in palliative care for end-of-life patients and the predictive factors influencing this role. The sample comprised 240 community nurses in Maha Sarakham Province who met the specified criteria and were selected via cluster sampling. Data were collected from May to August 2024 using a six-part questionnaire: a palliative care role performance questionnaire, a role performance knowledge questionnaire, a role performance skills questionnaire, a role performance resource questionnaire, a role performance motivation questionnaire, and a role performance information access questionnaire. All instruments were reviewed for content validity by five experts and demonstrated reliability coefficients of 0.99, 0.78 (KR-20), 0.99, 0.98, 0.99, and 0.98, respectively. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis.
The results indicated that community nurses in Maha Sarakham Province demonstrated a moderate level of palliative care role performance in caring for end-of-life patients (Meanadj = 2.44, S.D. = 0.30). Caregiving experience (β = .48) and role performance skills (β = .28) jointly predicted 51% of the variance in palliative care role performance (R²adj = .51, F = 123.95, p < .001). Recommendations: A program should be developed to enhance community nurses’ palliative care performance, with an emphasis on strengthening role-related skills, particularly among nurses with limited experience. Experienced nurses should be supported to serve as mentors or consultants to improve the overall effectiveness of end-of-life palliative care within the community.
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