DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A COURSE FOR ONCOLOGY NURSES ON CARING FOR TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS (NURSE TRAINING, DEATH EDUCATION).
Contributors: University of Georgia.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 221
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Adult and Continuing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to develop a course for oncology nurses on caring for terminally ill oncology patients. Briggs' (1977) model for course design and King's (1981) conceptual model of nursing were used as the bases for course design. The effectiveness of a pilot implementation of the course was evaluated. Effects to be evaluated included changes in (a) the nurse participant's death anxiety, and (b) awareness of the needs of terminally ill patients. In addition, specific guidelines for conducting a formative evaluation in this area were proposed.

The course was evaluated formatively by experts in the fields of nursing, curriculum, and thanatology according to specific evaluative criteria, using the course materials. Nurse participants also evaluated the course, in this case, according to specific criteria focusing on (a) effectiveness of the course in assisting the participants to meet the course goals and objectives, (b) the general content, (c) structure, and (d) learning materials of the course. The nurse participants evaluated the course during the last class session. The sample consisted of 15 oncology nurses practicing in hospital oncology units and related agencies, participating within an institutional cycle design.

Five research questions were examined by descriptive analysis, correlated t-tests, analysis of covariance, and correlations. The death education course was compliant with specific evaluation criteria used for assessment by the subject matter experts and the participants. The participants' test performance (e.g., nursing care plan development) was 87% compliant with the specific evaluative criteria. No statistical support was found to validate the hypotheses that oncology nurses had less death anxiety or greater understanding of the needs of terminally ill patients. However, the participants' written evaluation of the course and its effects did validate these hypotheses.

The formative evaluation concluded with six proposed guidelines for course revision. These guidelines were as follows: targeting the course primarily to neophyte oncology nurses; building upon the design and content of the existing course a specific course for experienced oncology nurses; increasing the length of the course; scheduling of classes to meet staffing difficulties; incorporating more nursing care plan development activities; and evaluating nursing care development within the clinical setting.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-02, Section: A, page: 0390.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, 1991.

School code: 0077.