Improving Attitudes and Perceived Competence in Caring for Dying Patients: An End‐of‐Life Simulation

AIM The aim of this study was to assess learning outcomes from a simulation on providing care to a critically ill patient from whom care is ultimately withdrawn. BACKGROUND Nursing students have anxiety and low perceived competence for caring for dying patients. Effective strategies for teaching communication, assessment, and basic nursing skills are needed. METHOD A pretest‐posttest design compared perceived competence and attitudes in caring for dying patients with three separate cohorts of undergraduate nursing students performing the simulation. RESULTS The cohorts had significantly improved scores on the perceived competence (p < .001) and attitude (p < .01) measures following the simulation. Reliability for a new instrument to assess perceived competence in caring for dying patients was also established. CONCLUSION This study's simulation offers a robust teaching strategy for improving nursing students’ attitudes and perceived competence in caring for dying patients.