Third-year Australian nursing students' attitudes, experiences, knowledge, and education concerning end-of-life care

Background: Nurses have a vital role in providing end-of-life care to patients and their families, and it is important that nursing students are adequately prepared for this role. Aim: This article reports on qualitative findings from research that explored a cohort of third-year undergraduate Australian nursing students' attitudes, experiences, knowledge, and education concerning end-of-life care. Methods: The study used open-ended questions in a purpose-designed, self-administered questionnaire and thematic analysis of the responses. Findings: Five themes emerged from the analysis: the importance of the students' values and beliefs, the influence of experience, their views on what constitutes a good or bad death, their knowledge of ethics and legislation surrounding end-of-life care, and how they perceived their level of education and knowledge. Conclusion: The need for more education on end-of-life care has implications for curriculum development in undergraduate nursing programmes, which need to provide graduating nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver quality care to patients who are dying and their families.