KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY NURSES DELIVERING PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES IN THE BUEA REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Abstract Background: Palliative Care (PC) is an essential component of comprehensive healthcare that seeks to improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Nurses play a central role in the delivery of palliative care because of their continuous involvement in symptom management, psychological support, patient advocacy and end-of-life care. Despite the growing recognition of palliative care worldwide, its implementation remains limited in low and middle-income countries including Cameroon. Evidence regarding nurses preparedness to provide palliative care in Cameroon remains scare, particularly at the Buea Regional Hospital (BRH). Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and challenges faced by nurses delivering palliative care services at the Buea Regional Hospital. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional design was conducted among 104 registered nurses working in the medical, surgical, ICU, oncology, private and VIP units at the Buea Reguonal Hospital. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of palliative care, attitudes towards palliative care, and percieved challenges affecting service delivery. Descriptive statistics summarized participants characteristics and study variables, while Chi-square tests assessed associations between selected socio-demographic variables and knowledge and attitude levels. Statistical significance was considered at p< 0.05. Results: Among the 104 nurses who participated, majority were female (88.5%), aged between 26-30 years (41.3%), and held Bachelor’s degrees (59.6%). Overall, 68.3% demonstrated good knowledge of palliative care with a mean score of 8.02/10. Positive attitudes towards palliative care were observed in 89.4% of respondents with a mean score of 33.46/45. However, important knowledge gaps remained regarding the appropriate timing of palliative care initiation and it’s primary goals. Frequently reported barriers included; inadequate training (55.8%), emotional stress and burnout (55.8%) and cultural or religious barriers (51.0%). Notably, 82.7% of nurses reported that challenges had prevented them from delivering quality PC. The most recommended improvement was more training for nurses (87.5%). Conclusion: Although nurses at the Buea Regional Hospital demonstrated good knowledge and positive attitudes towards palliative care, significant challenges particularly inadequate training and emotional stress, hinder effective delivery. Targeted training programs, institutional support, and clear palliative care protocols are urgently needed to improve palliative care quality at Buea Regional Hospital. Keywords: Palliative care, knowledge, attitudes, challenges, nurses, Buea Regional Hospital, Cameroon.