KNOWLEDGE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS TOWARDS PALLIATIVE CARE AMONG NURSES WORKING IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN HARAR AND DIRE DAWA ADMINISTRATION, EASTERN, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Palliative care is caring for people with serious illnesses that focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illness. Knowledge plays a outstanding role to make a friendly attitude and safe practice in the nursing profession, but studies revealed that there is a plausible gap among nurses towards palliative care leads to malpractice and unmet need. Even though it requires evidence-based intervention there was a scarcity of subjects on the topic in the study area and some of the surveys did not identify factors linked up. Objective: To assess knowledge and associated factors towards palliative care among nurses working in government hospitals in the Harari region and Dire Dawa administration. Methodology: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted 449 nurses in Harar and Dire Dawa administration from Mar 01 to 21, 2019. Data collection tools in palliative care knowledge were adapted and changed from the validated questionnaire used in some other work. Data entry was done using Epidata 3.1 software. And so the data were exported to statistical package software for social science version 23 for further analysis. Binary logistics regression was carried out to identify variables that associated with knowledge towards palliative care. Those Variables in a bivariate analysis whose p-value less than 0.25 was included in multiple logistic regression analysis to identify strongly associated factors. Finally, variables whose p-value less than 0.05 was considered as a statistically significant association. Result: The totally 414 questionnaires completed and returned which was with a 92.2 % response rate. The more than half of nurses 239 (57.7%) were having good knowledge. Male (AOR= 1.88, 95%CI: 1.197, 2.94), palliative care training (AOR=2.77 95%CI:1.68, 4.57), palliative care education (AOR=2.63 95%CI:1.62, 4.27) and working in ICU (AOR=3.33 95%CI:1.39, 7.96) had significant positive association at p-value less than 0.05 with knowledge of nurses of palliative care, However, age, marital status, educational status, year of experience and pain training had no association. Conclusion and recommendation: majority of nurses were having overall good knowledge of palliative care. Gender (male), palliative care training, palliative care education, and nurses working ward (ICU) had a significant association and palliative care education is uniquely identified in the current study. Palliative care is yet seeking attention of all stakeholders, nursing schools should integrate in the curriculum