PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to explore nurses' knowledge of and attitudes toward pediatric palliative care (PPC) in Korea. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A total of 196 participants were recruited from the ELNEC-PPC course held in Seoul, Korea. All participants completed a 20-item survey questionnaire which assessed knowledge of and attitudes toward PPC using a 7-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Nurses' knowledge of PPC correlated with their educational level and work experience in the pediatric unit and hospice care unit. The work experience in the pediatric unit, career length in PPC and completion of palliative education course made differences in the attitudes toward PPC. Married nurses scored significantly higher on the parental rights in determining palliative care service for their child, and nurses with master's degree or higher showed a higher level of understanding of and attitudes toward the differences between PPC and adult palliative care. CONCLUSION: The factors influencing nurses' knowledge of and attitudes toward PPC need be considered to develop a pediatric palliative training program.
Adult ; Child ; Education ; Hospice Care ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Korea ; Palliative Care* ; Parents ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study was attempted to offer the foundation data to develop a specific and practical social service of caregiver-centered. For this purpose we assessed the cognitive functions of a group aged 65 or more using the Korean version of Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE-K) in a Dong area of urban community. And then we reassessed the relationships between the caring burdens of caregivers and the psychopathology of in-home demented elderlies, and the needs of caregivers for the social services. METHODS: Subjects in this study were over the age of 65 and resided in a Dong area of urban community. At first, their cognitive functions were screened by MMSE-K. Subjects, whose total score of MMSE-K were below 24 and met the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV for dementia, were enrolled in this study and defined to be the patients with dementia. Their psychiatric symptoms were assessed by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS), Hamilton's Rating Scale for Depression(HDRS) and Hamilton's Rating Scale for Anxiety(HARS). At the same time, the caring burdens of caregivers and their needs for social services were assessed by caregiver`s burden inventory(CBI). Total 23 subjects completed all of the assessments and their data were analysed statistically by ANOVA, chi2-test, and Duncan's multiple range test using SAS program. RESULTS: 1) The mean total score of BPRS tended to be correlated positively with the mean score of social activity restriction subscale of caring burden dimensions. 2) Some of religions of the caregivers could affect differently and significantly on the negative changes of relationships between the demented elderlies and their caregivers(p<.05). Especially, the Christians experienced less negative changes of relationships between them than the others did. 3) When the demented elderlies were males, total burdens of caregivers and negative changes of relationships between the demented elderlies and their caregivers, and between the caregivers and their relatives were significantly higher than the other burden dimensions were(p<.05). 4) When the demented elderlies were more educated, the psychological burdens of their caregivers were more severe(p<.05). 5) The more were the total burdens of the caregivers, they wanted more social services for them(p<.05). 6) The more were the psychological and financial burdens of the caregivers, their needs for the education and counselling services were more than the needs for the other social services(p<.05). CONCLUSION: Caregivers living with male demented elderlies, who had more severe psychopathology, had more burdens of caregiving and restricted the social activities of the in-home demented elderlies more severely. As a result, the relationships between them became more worse. Our results suggested that free-home helper services for the severely demented elderlies and education counselling services including information-referral service for their caregivers were in needs. Consequently, we should develop more specific services for in-home demented elderlies and their caregivers according to the needs in their family environments.
Caregivers* ; Dementia ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Education ; Humans ; Male ; Psychopathology* ; Social Work*