Table 2.
Distributions of nurses’ knowledge towards palliative care at selected hospitals in Tigray region, March, 2018
| No | Variables | Yes N (%) | No N (%) | Don’t Know N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do you know the definition palliative care? | 319 (89.9) | 7 (2.0) | 29(8.2) |
| 2 | Palliative care is only appropriate in situations of a downhill trajectory or deterioration in conditions. | 286 (80.6) | 47 (13.2) | 22(6.2) |
| 3 | The extent of the disease determines the method of pain treatment. | 307 (86.5) | 35 (9.9) | 13(3.7) |
| 4 | Adjuvant therapies are important in managing pain. | 275 (77.5) | 22 (6.2) | 58(16.3) |
| 5 | Drug addiction is a major problem when morphine is used on a long-term basis for the management of pain. | 289 (81.4) | 39 (11.0) | 27(7.6) |
| 6 | The provisions of palliative care require emotional detachment | 126 (35.5) | 213 (60.0) | 16(4.50 |
| 7 | During the terminal stages of an illness, drugs that can cause respiratory depression are appropriate for the treatment of severe dyspnea. | 98 (27.6) | 133 (37.5) | 124(34.9) |
| 8 | The philosophy of palliative care is compatible with that of aggressive treatment. | 122 (34.4) | 169 (47.6) | 64(18.0) |
| 9 | The use of placebos is appropriate in the treatment of some types of pain. | 190 (53.5) | 102(28.7) | 63(17.7) |
| 10 | Meperidine (Demerol®) is not an effective analgesic for the control of chronic pain. | 89 (25.1) | 152(42.8) | 114(32.1) |
| 11 | The accumulation of losses renders burnout Inevitable for those who work in palliative care. | 174 (49.0) | 70(19.7) | 111(31.3) |
| 12 | Manifestations of chronic pain are different from those of acute pain. | 280 (78.9) | 59(16.6) | 16(4.5) |
| 13 | Terminally ill patients have the right to choose “Do not resuscitate” (DNR). | 257 (72.4) | 60(16.9) | 38(10.7) |
| 14 | Terminally ill patients should be encouraged to have hope against all odds. | 258 (72.7) | 77(21.7) | 20(5.6) |