Using Normalization Process Theory to Evaluate Providing Pediatric Palliative Care at End-of-Life as Web-Based Training Intervention for Nurses: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Al-Shammari Moustafa Ali , Yasir Amean , Aldoori Nuhad , Mohammad Hussein 
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Palliative care is a rather concept that new in Iraq, there is no training intended for both health care specialists and the overall public. The lack of education and training programs is the most important barrier. Intermediate training is needed for individuals regularly at work with patients with life-threatening diseases. The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium-Pediatric Palliative Care, meant for nurses with an interest in provide care for those children with a life-limiting disease or in the event of accidents/and unexpected passing.

OBJECTIVE

The present paper is intended to evaluate the effect of a web-based course using the Normalization Process Theory, which focuses attention on how complex interventions become routinely embedded in practice and training of the sample academic nurses’ staff in the application of the pediatric palliative care in routine daily practice. It hypothesizes that nurses’ specialists will help after passing the training in providing palliative care for the pediatric population.

METHODS

In a Multicenter, parallel, Pragmatic trial, five health care settings spread over a single city of Babylon Province. Participants will be recruited and stratified to two strata (critical care units and non-critical care units). In the experimental condition, the (n = 86 academic nursing staff) will be trained in the application of the pediatric palliative care, for two weeks as web-based training course powered by Relais platform through inviting the nurses to participate via email, or instant messaging instruct WhatsApp, telegram, Viber account of participants to provide End of life care in addition to usual care to children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions. In the control condition (n=86), continue usual care. The program's effectiveness will be assessed at the level of nurses only. The statistical analyses will compare the baseline assessment for each participant (before the intervention) with a post-intervention assessment (after passing the training course). Moreover, a continuation assessment will occur three months after the course end. As around numerous unidentified factors influencing the effect of the course training, a progress evaluation to evaluate selection sample, application, and intervention value besides difficulties and organizers to implementation will as well be present comprised in the study analysis. The staff of nursing might not be the intervention blinded, nonetheless were blinded for the results.

RESULTS

The study trial recruitment opened in July 2020. The first outcomes are predicted to be available in December 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

Study object to determine the training effect of the academic nurse staff of multicenter departments\ units with a training course in the application of new pediatric palliative care. The study strengths are the usual practice setting, the staff training, the readiness of staff to participate in the study, and the random allocation to the intervention. Possible drawbacks may drop out because of staff of nursing may well transfer to another department throughout the study period.

CLINICALTRIAL

Trial Registration: NCT04461561