Professional Competencies of Nurses in Specialized Palliative Care Services in Romania

Abstract

The aim of this prospective study, done between January – May 2012, is to determine the level of competencies of nurses working in specialized Palliative Care (PC) services, to highlight the barriers in implementing those competencies, and the positive results once PC is recognized as a specialty for nurses. The results show that the majority (84%) of nurses working in specialized PC services in Romania have a basic level of education in PC, acquired during the basic training or as a form of continuing medical education program (level A). This result underlines the imperious need of forming those nurses at a specialized level (level C), so organizing the Specialized Palliative Nursing Educational Program and recognizing Palliative Nursing as a specialty in Romania is a must.