Staff nurses’ knowledge and attitude toward the concept of palliative care; Fatin Abusyriah RN BSN, abdelqader tayyem RN MSN questionnaire in a quaternary central hospital

Background: Palliative care sometimes perceived as hastening death or care delivered when active treatment failed. Nurses play a significant role in providing palliative care, but nurses, as well as other health care worker, need training about palliative care in order to achieve the intended goals. Aim: Explore the level of knowledge and attitude for the staff in King Saud Medical City (KSMC) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia toward palliative care. Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional study, 323 questionnaires were completed by the staff nurses covering medical-surgical, oncology and ICU. The tool consists of demographical data, Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing(PCQN), Frommlet Attitudes Toward Care of Dying (FATCOD) scale. Result: Poor knowledge toward palliative care founded among respondent PCQN mean total score (9.229) out of 20 SD (2.402) while Moderate attitude showed FATCOD mean total score 97.817 out of 150, SD (8.325). The area of assignments significantly affects the Knowledge of the staff; oncology unit reported higher score than the other areas, right knowledge has been shown, mean score for oncology unit (11.36), SD (3.53). Conclusion: Institutional strategy has to be implemented in the Middle East a to improve the palliative care services, palliative care nursing education has to be added to the undergraduate curricula in every nursing school, formal training and courses for post graduated nurses is necessary.