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Abstract
Background: Palliative care is a cornerstone of holistic healthcare, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients with life-limiting conditions and their families by addressing physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. Despite global recognition of its importance, only 14% of people in need receive such care, with disparities particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries. Nurses are central providers of palliative care; however, their ability to deliver high-quality care depends heavily on undergraduate preparation. In Pakistan, limited studies suggest that nursing students have inadequate knowledge and mixed attitudes, with curricula lacking structured palliative care education. Understanding students’ experiences and perspectives is essential for strengthening training and ensuring compassionate, competent future care delivery.
Objective: This study aimed to explore the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of final-year undergraduate nursing students regarding palliative care, with a focus on their conceptual understanding, emotional responses, and educational preparedness.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed at Benazir College of Nursing, Male College of Nursing and Female College of Nursing affiliated with Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana. Using purposive sampling, 6–8 final-year BSN students were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, audio-recorded with consent. Planned duration was 20–30 minutes, but actual interviews lasted 10–15 minutes; nevertheless, rich data were obtained and saturation was achieved. Pilot interviews ensured tool clarity but were excluded from final analysis. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed manually using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic framework. Ethical approval was obtained, and all transcripts were anonymized and securely stored in encrypted format.
Results: Five major themes emerged: (1) Knowledge and conceptual understanding—students showed basic awareness of palliative care but often limited its scope to end-of-life and cancer care; (2) Attitudes and emotional responses—participants expressed empathy and recognized the value of palliative care but reported emotional discomfort and fear when dealing with dying patients; (3) Educational preparedness and curriculum gaps—students consistently described inadequate theoretical coverage and lack of structured clinical exposure; (4) Challenges and barriers—limited mentorship, cultural taboos around death, and absence of specialized faculty hindered learning; and (5) Recommendations and facilitators—students strongly advocated integrating structured palliative care modules, workshops, mentorship, and clinical rotations in cancer hospitals into the BSN curriculum.
Conclusion: The findings highlight significant gaps in undergraduate nursing education in Pakistan regarding palliative care, leaving students underprepared for clinical realities. Despite these challenges, students demonstrated positive attitudes and willingness to provide such care if supported with adequate training. To bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, nursing curricula should integrate structured palliative care education, provide supervised clinical exposure, and foster mentorship to enhance students’ competence and confidence. Strengthening these areas is essential to ensure future nurses can deliver compassionate, holistic, and effective palliative care.