Content area
Aim
To explore the effects of a theory-based Multi-media Experiential Advance Care Planning (MEACP) training programme for nurses in acute care settings, which aims to improve their decision-support skills, attitudes towards advance care planning (ACP), knowledge of ACP and level of confidence in conducting ACP.
BackgroundNurses in acute care settings are often less engaged in ACP discussions due to insufficient training and time constraints.
DesignA single -blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial with a repeated-measures, two-arm, parallel-group design was employed.
MethodsA total of 230 registered nurses were recruited from 23 acute care wards across eight public-funded hospitals. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 112) or an intervention group (n = 118) at the ward level. Informed by the theory of planned behaviour and the experiential learning model, the MEACP programme included a 10-module mobile application (app) and a 2-hour nurse-led, face-to-face, skill-building workshop.
ResultsThe participants in the MEACP group showed significantly greater improvements in their decision-support skills (95 % CI:2.47–3.34, p < 0.001), knowledge of ACP (95 % CI: 0.7–1.61, p < 0.001) and confidence in conducting ACP (95 % CI: 0.37–0.79, p < 0.001) than the control group post-intervention.
ConclusionThe intervention has the potential to empower nurses with better decision-support skills and knowledge, which lay the groundwork for future efforts to promote ACP engagement in acute care settings.
Details
Hospitals;
Patients;
Experiential Learning;
Job Skills;
Randomized Controlled Trials;
Medical Services;
Effect Size;
Instructional Effectiveness;
Role Playing;
Decision Making Skills;
Research Assistants;
Professional Training;
Nurses;
Control Groups;
Learning Processes;
Observation;
Hospices (Terminal Care);
Correlation;
Ethics;
Program Effectiveness;
Preferences;
Educational Needs
Theory of planned behavior;
Performance evaluation;
Experiential learning;
Health care;
Knowledge;
Decision making;
Hospitals;
Nurse led services;
Care plans;
Professionals;
Verbal communication;
Medical personnel;
Nurses;
Acute services;
Online tutorials;
Professional ethics;
Human subjects;
Skills;
Patients;
Advance directives;
Perceptions;
Professional training;
Planning;
Nursing care;
Preferences;
Design;
Palliative care;
Attitudes;
Systematic review;
Mass media effects;
Multimedia;
Training;
Software;
Decisions;
Groups;
Hospital wards
; Helen YL Chan 1
; Kai Chow Choi 1 ; Chow, Ka Ming 1
; Kwan, Cecilia WM 3 ; Robinson, Jackie 4
; Tse, Mankei 1 1 The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2 United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong
3 Bradbury Hospice, Hong Kong
4 School of Nursing, University of Auckland, New Zealand