Analysis of nurses' knowledge on palliative care and accompaniment in Kinshasa, DRC

Context. - Palliative care is a component of care, improving the quality of end-of-life of the patients. There is little data on the practices and knowledge of healthcare personnel in economically poor contexts. The aim of this study therefore is to assess what knowledge nurses in hospitals in Kinshasa have of palliative and end-of-life care. Methods. - This study was conducted in six hospitals in Kinshasa. Two hundred nurses were selected; 120 from public establishments, 40 from denominational establishments and 40 from private clinics. The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire to determine their knowledge. The nurses included in this study work in intensive care, internal medicine, surgery and pediatrics and have all given end-of-life care. Results. - The results indicated that the nurses interviewed (averaging between 43.3 +/- 8.9 years of age, 75% women) had a limited knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care. More than 60% of the nurses believe that palliative care involves either continuous treatment, abandoning the patient, personal care or inadequate care. Conclusion. - This study highlights the fact that nurses in Kinshasa have insufficient knowledge of palliative and end of life care. This study is a plea to the competent authorities to incorporate this aspect in basic training curricula and include this field of medicine as part of the care offered in hospitals in Kinshasa. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.