Final Year Students' Insights on End-of-Life Care: A Ugandan Perspective

Palliative care has been a part of the curriculum for final-year nursing and medical students in Uganda for around 10 years. However, there has been a surprising lack of research into how well students understand and feel confident about providing this type of care. This gap in knowledge is a bit of a mystery, given the importance of palliative care in healthcare. Palliative care is about making life better for patients with serious illnesses. It's not just about medical treatment; it's also about managing pain, offering emotional support, and helping patients and their families cope. It's a crucial part of healthcare, especially in places where resources are limited. Final-year students in Uganda are being taught about palliative care. But how much do they really know? And more importantly, do they feel confident in their abilities to provide this care when they graduate? These are the kinds of questions that researchers are now trying to answer. The challenges faced during palliative care training are not unique to Uganda. Many countries struggle with how to best teach this complex subject. But Uganda's situation is particularly interesting because of its unique healthcare landscape. The country has a high burden of infectious diseases, like HIV and malaria, which often require palliative care. So, it's especially important for students to be well-prepared. One of the biggest challenges in palliative care is managing pain. This isn't just about giving medication; it's about understanding each patient's unique needs and finding the best way to help them. This can be a complex task, and it requires a lot of knowledge and confidence. So, what do final-year students in Uganda know about palliative care? And how confident are they in their abilities to provide this care? These are the questions that researchers are now trying to answer. By understanding the challenges that students face, we can better prepare future healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care for their patients. The study is a mixed-methods one, meaning it combines quantitative data (like surveys and test scores) with qualitative data (like interviews and focus groups). This approach allows researchers to get a more complete picture of what students know and how they feel. One of the key findings of the study is that students' knowledge and self-efficacy are closely linked. In other words, the more students know about palliative care, the more confident they feel in their abilities to provide it. This is an important insight, as it highlights the need for comprehensive and effective palliative care training. But the study also reveals some challenges. For example, some students struggle with the emotional aspects of palliative care. This can be a difficult part of the job, as it requires a lot of empathy and emotional intelligence. It's important for students to be aware of these challenges and to develop strategies to cope with them.