Association between knowledge and nursing students’ preparedness in providing palliative care: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is associated with various physical, emotional, and psychosocial problems, particularly among patients with advanced-stage disease. Palliative care plays an essential role in improving patients’ quality of life through symptom management and comprehensive support. Nursing students, as future healthcare professionals, need adequate knowledge and preparedness to provide quality palliative care. This study aimed to examine the association between knowledge and nursing students’ preparedness in providing palliative care to cancer patients at Udayana University. A descriptive correlational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 190 nursing students selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing–Indonesian Version (PCQN-I) and the Preparedness for Providing Palliative Care Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation test. Most respondents had a moderate level of knowledge (53.2%) and preparedness (52.6%) regarding palliative care. The results demonstrated a statistically significant weak positive correlation between knowledge and preparedness (r = 0.367, p < 0.000), indicating that higher levels of knowledge were associated with greater preparedness in providing palliative care. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening palliative care education and training within nursing curricula to improve students’ preparedness and competence in delivering holistic care to cancer patients.