Nurses' Needs for Education on Cancer and End-of-Life Care

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Abstract
Changes in cancer and end-of-life care require frequent assessment of educational needs of nurses. The Nurse Oncology Education Program surveyed a random sample of Texas registered nurses about their continuing education practices, level of knowledge, and educational needs. The 352 nurses responding to the survey primarily obtained continuing education from workshops, inservice education, and independent studies citing cost, location, content, and length of course as influencing factors. Their cancer educational needs included clinical trials, genetics, complementary therapies, and pain management. Nurses' perceptions of end-of-life needs were for physical needs, "what to expect" concerns, and transition to palliative care. These findings provide specific direction for future continuing education programs about cancer and end-of-life issues for nurses.