Teaching Methodologies for End-of-Life Care in Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background: The purpose of this literature review was to explore methodologies for teaching end-of-life (EOL) care to undergraduate nursing students. Method: Articles were retrieved by searching CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, and MEDLINE databases using the terms terminal care, palliative care, end of life care, undergraduate nurs*, hospice care, baccalaureate nurs*, prelicensure nurs*, palliative nurs*, training, and undergraduate education. A total of 728 articles were preliminarily evaluated for inclusion, with 22 relevant to this literature review. Results: A variety of teaching methods have been studied for efficacy in undergraduate nursing education. Conclusion: Comparisons are limited by inconsistencies in instrumentation and the use of multiple teaching strategies in individual studies. More information is needed regarding the effect of interventions on clinical practice. Educational activities should be integrated throughout the learning experience and include elements of didactic teaching, clinical experiences, and application in simulation, including a focus on interprofessional education.