Pediatric palliative care from nursing and PharmD perspectives

Background This research aimed to survey a sample of nursing students and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in Jordan about their knowledge of pediatric palliative care (PPC) in the context of treating terminally ill children. Method A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was used to fulfill the goal of this research. A convenience sample of nursing and PharmD students currently studying in Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan was recruited to complete a survey that contained 20 statements about issues on and around the subject of PPC. Results The results showed that there was a significant difference in PPC between nurses and PharmD students. The mother's education (t = 2.158, P = 0.032) and being a nursing or PharmD student (t = 1.969, P = 0.050) were associated with knowledge about PPC. Other listed factors such as gender, working ward, and age were not associated with knowledge of PPC. Conclusion This was the first study in Jordan to survey a sample of nursing students and PharmD students in Jordan about their knowledge of PPC. The current study found that knowledge of nursing and PharmD students regarding PPC was satisfactory, depending on the scale used.