Levels of Competence and Need for Continuing Education in Nonspecialist Palliative Care Settings—A Qualitative Study of Views from Finnish Health Care Professionals

Abstract

Background: The need for palliative care (PC) is increasing due to the growing number of chronic diseases and an aging population. As such, the requirement to ensure the provision of PC is evident. This calls for PC competence for nurses working in nonspecialist PC settings. Objective: The aim was to describe the views of Finnish health care professionals relating to PC competencies and the development needs for continuing education in nonspecialist PC settings. Design: A qualitative study design. Setting/subjects: The data were compiled via an e-survey from health care professionals working in nonspecialist PC settings in Finland; 281 participants answered the open question: “Tell us what you think about the competencies in palliative care.” Measurements: The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results: The description of PC competence was categorized into four main categories, including 64 subcategories. The main category containing the largest number of reduced expressions (f = 303) was “Perceived level of PC competence and development needs.” The competence in PC was also identified as “Perceived need for continuing education in different palliative care competencies” (f = 243), “Building the foundations of one’s own competence” (f = 133), and “Factors related to the work organization and connected to the competence enhancement” (f = 84). Conclusion: The health care professionals in nonspecialist PC settings recognize the importance of ensuring competence and the need for continuous and regular education. The results of this study can be utilized in the planning of continuing education and in targeting it correctly.