Nurses' Perceptions of Teaching Palliative Care

Palliative care in Angola is still in the early stages of development, reflected in the lack of preparation of nurses in their technical training to intervene in palliative care.The aim of this study was to assess the perception of nursing students regarding the inclusion of palliative care in their undergraduate curricula, as well as to determine the importance they attach to this training and preparation for caring for patients in palliative care.109 nursing students (55.3% female) from the Instituto Superior de Ciências de Saúde and the Escola Superior Politécnica do Moxico answered a questionnaire on attitudes towards palliative care. The results revealed that the majority of students had not had contact with essential topics related to palliative care throughout their training.The students emphasized the importance of including palliative care in the compulsory curriculum of the nursing course. Based on the perceptions of Angolan nursing students, we conclude that training in palliative care during the course is not adequate to develop the necessary skills in this area.