Effectiveness of a nurse-led, culturally adapted palliative and end-of-life training program (N-PELTP) for oncology nurses: a quasi-experimental controlled study

@article{hasni2026effectiveness,
  title = {{Effectiveness of a nurse-led, culturally adapted palliative and end-of-life training program (N-PELTP) for oncology nurses: a quasi-experimental controlled study}},
  author = {Nabiha Al Hasni and Asma Al Yahyaei and Eilean Rathinasamy Lazarus and Omar Al Omari and Atika Al Musalami and Amna Al-Harrasi and Nasr Al Riyami and Omar Ayaad and Namitha Sivankutty and Samiha Al-Habsi and Maya Al Foori and Muna Al Balushi and Emad Ahmed Elmughrabi and Laila Alkhouli and Manal Al Zadjali and Joshua Kanaabi Muliira},
  journal = {BMC Palliative Care},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1186/s12904-026-02269-9},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-026-02269-9},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Effectiveness of a nurse-led, culturally adapted palliative and end-of-life training program (N-PELTP) for oncology nurses: a quasi-experimental controlled study
AU  - Nabiha Al Hasni
AU  - Asma Al Yahyaei
AU  - Eilean Rathinasamy Lazarus
AU  - Omar Al Omari
AU  - Atika Al Musalami
AU  - Amna Al-Harrasi
AU  - Nasr Al Riyami
AU  - Omar Ayaad
AU  - Namitha Sivankutty
AU  - Samiha Al-Habsi
AU  - Maya Al Foori
AU  - Muna Al Balushi
AU  - Emad Ahmed Elmughrabi
AU  - Laila Alkhouli
AU  - Manal Al Zadjali
AU  - Joshua Kanaabi Muliira
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/11
JO  - BMC Palliative Care
DO  - 10.1186/s12904-026-02269-9
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-026-02269-9
AB  - Background: Oncology nurses play a central role in delivering palliative and end-of-life care, yet context-specific training remains limited in many settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a nurse-led, culturally adapted palliative and end-of-life training program (N-PELTP) for oncology nurses.  Nurses contribute to the continuity, quality, and timeliness of palliative care through ongoing assessment, symptom monitoring, family support, and advocacy within multidisciplinary teams.  In Oman, palliative and end-of-life care is commonly shaped by strong family involvement in decision-making, preferences for family-mediated disclosure, and the influence of Islamic values on perceptions of suffering, comfort, and end-of-life rituals. These cultural characteristics can affect communication, symptom management decisions (e.g., opioid concerns), and expectations around care planning. Nurses are central to navigating these dynamics because they provide continuous bedside care, translate clinical information for families, coordinate across disciplines, and support culturally and spiritually congruent care.  Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest controlled study was conducted among registered nurses providing direct care to patients with cancer in Oman. Nurses in the intervention group received the nurse-led, culturally adapted N-PELTP, while a comparable control group received usual practice during the study period. Outcomes included palliative care knowledge, attitudes toward caring for dying patients, self-reported palliative care practice, and communication. Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention using validated instruments.  Instruments: Palliative Care Knowledge Questionnaire (PEACE-Q)  Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale – Form B (FATCOD-B)  Palliative Care Self-Reported Practices Scale (PCPS)  Results: A total of 189 nurses participated. At baseline, the groups were generally comparable across demographic and professional characteristics. Following the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and communication compared with baseline and relative to the control group. In contrast, self-reported palliative care practice did not demonstrate meaningful short-term change.  Conclusions: A nurse-led, culturally adapted palliative and end-of-life training program improved oncology nurses’ palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and communication outcomes. These findings support the value of culturally responsive palliative care training to strengthen oncology nursing workforce preparedness and palliative care delivery.  Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07460570 05 March 2026 retrospectively registered.  Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-026-02269-9.
SN  - 1472-684X
ER  -