End-of-Life Training in US Nurse Practitioner Programs: A National Study.

BACKGROUND

Nurse practitioners (NPs) work in a variety of health care settings and care for people with life-threatening illnesses or at the end-of-life (EOL). Therefore, NP programs should be active in preparing future NPs to handle caring for patients at the EOL stage.

PURPOSE: To determine the status of EOL education in NP programs in the US.

METHODS

The study was a cross-sectional, observational study of all NP programs in the US accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education as of December 2023.

RESULTS

Sixty-three percent (n = 59) of the programs either did not have a formal EOL curriculum in place or had just recently decided to implement one. Directors perceived multiple barriers to incorporating more EOL teaching into their programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Limitations in integration of EOL training in NP education reveal opportunities to enhance curricula and improve alignment with essential competencies.