Nursing presence during death: An end-of-life simulation created by students and faculty

BackgroundNursing curricula often lack end-of-life (EOL) care training, particularly regarding the nursing skill of “being present.” Collaboration between students and faculty in curriculum design is rare, but may effectively help fill the curriculum gaps in EOL care.AimTo describe the creation of a novel EOL care simulation by students and faculty, and its implementation into a pre-licensure Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) curriculum.MethodsWith support from expert faculty, three students developed an EOL care simulation focused on nursing presence, comfort care, and compassionate communication. Pilot participants submitted pre- and post-test surveys regarding confidence in providing comfort measures for dying patients. The simulation was integrated into the MSN curriculum and simulation evaluations were collected.FindingsPilot data are limited. Once incorporated into the curriculum, 95% of respondents (N = 38; response rate 35%) reported feeling better prepared to respond to changes in patient condition, more confident in their ability to prioritise care and interventions, and better able to communicate with patients. One hundred percent of respondents recommended the simulation for future use.DiscussionA curricular gap in EOL care provided a unique opportunity for nursing students and faculty to develop clinical EOL care training that focused on compassionate nursing presence.ConclusionThis project demonstrated the potential for collaboration between nursing students and faculty to enhance nursing education in EOL care. Pre-licensure exposure to the general principles of EOL care and nursing presence may be beneficial for new nurses entering the workforce.