Breaking Bad News: Providing Communication Guidance to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Students

Abstract

Background: Palliative care and end of life care both emphasize quality of life through symptom management, and are becoming increasingly utilized in our society. Often, these services are accessed too late for patients to receive all the benefits offered. In part, this can be attributed to primary care providers initiating these difficult discussions after the patients’ condition is too far advanced. Therefore, it is important to encourage primary care providers to initiate conversations early enough for patients to reap the full benefits of these treatments. Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase family nurse practitioner students’ knowledge of the FNP’s role in introducing PC and EOL care, and to increase their self-efficacy in initiating difficult conversations with patients and their loved ones. The project aimed to achieve this through the use of an online learning module and video demonstration. Methods: Written material and a video demonstration were assigned to an existing graduate-level FNP course. Optional pretests and posttests were performed using an adaptation of a validated survey. RedCap was used to deliver the survey and collect the data. Outcomes: Eleven students participated in this project. Results on both knowledge and self-efficacy indicated notable improvements between pretests and posttests in nearly all areas. Participants responded that this module was useful and the scenario similar to what they expect to encounter in their future practice. Keywords: End of life care, hospice care, palliative care, self-efficacy, communication, interviews as topic, healthcare providers, family nurse practitioners, video-audio media.