Short Time, Lasting Impact: Teaching Pediatric End-of-Life Care in One Day
Faculty Mentor
Tiffany Keshwah DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC
Location
Skidaway Meeting Room
Type of Research
Completed
Session Format
Oral Presentation
College
Waters College of Health Professions
Department
Nursing
Abstract
Background: Pediatric nurses working in specialities that experience end-of-life, death, and post-mortem care, often feel unprepared for the emotional toll and lack adequate support systems (Camera et al., 2024). Nurses report feeling under prepared due to a lack of hands-on opportunities before graduation (Richoux, et al., 2022). Pediatric death is a traumatic experience for families and nurses. Previous studies have shown that hands-on education increases nurses' confidence in caring for patients at the end of their lives (Cole & Foito, 2019; Noyes et al., 2023).
Method: A one-day, hands-on workshop on pediatric end-of-life was created and offered to nursing students enrolled in a traditional, BSN program at a public university in southeast Georgia. Senior nursing students were invited to attend the workshop. Students were asked to fill out anonymous, pre-and post- workshop surveys. Survey questions asked students to rate their comfortability caring for pediatric patients at the end of life using a Likert scale. Pre and post surveys were analyzed to determine if the workshop affected nursing students' confidence in pediatric pre and post mortem care.
Results: Data analysis ongoing, will be completed by March 31st, 2026. We anticipate nursing students will have improved readiness to provide pediatric pre and post-mortem care after the completion of an interactive workshop. These expectations are based on the results of similar studies (Cole & Foito, 2019; Noyes et al., 2023).
Conclusion: It is crucial to provide nurses and nursing students with hands-on skills for end-of-life care as well as the ability to communicate with family members during periods of grief. The use of simulated clinical experiences offers nursing students a safe, controlled environment to practice key skills in critical moments. This project aims to empower the next generation of nurses to care for pediatric patients and their families in times of loss.
Program Description
.
Start Date
4-21-2026 11:30 AM
End Date
4-21-2026 11:45 AM
Recommended Citation
Taliaferro, McKenzie, "Short Time, Lasting Impact: Teaching Pediatric End-of-Life Care in One Day" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 51.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026A/2026A/51
Short Time, Lasting Impact: Teaching Pediatric End-of-Life Care in One Day
Skidaway Meeting Room
Background: Pediatric nurses working in specialities that experience end-of-life, death, and post-mortem care, often feel unprepared for the emotional toll and lack adequate support systems (Camera et al., 2024). Nurses report feeling under prepared due to a lack of hands-on opportunities before graduation (Richoux, et al., 2022). Pediatric death is a traumatic experience for families and nurses. Previous studies have shown that hands-on education increases nurses' confidence in caring for patients at the end of their lives (Cole & Foito, 2019; Noyes et al., 2023).
Method: A one-day, hands-on workshop on pediatric end-of-life was created and offered to nursing students enrolled in a traditional, BSN program at a public university in southeast Georgia. Senior nursing students were invited to attend the workshop. Students were asked to fill out anonymous, pre-and post- workshop surveys. Survey questions asked students to rate their comfortability caring for pediatric patients at the end of life using a Likert scale. Pre and post surveys were analyzed to determine if the workshop affected nursing students' confidence in pediatric pre and post mortem care.
Results: Data analysis ongoing, will be completed by March 31st, 2026. We anticipate nursing students will have improved readiness to provide pediatric pre and post-mortem care after the completion of an interactive workshop. These expectations are based on the results of similar studies (Cole & Foito, 2019; Noyes et al., 2023).
Conclusion: It is crucial to provide nurses and nursing students with hands-on skills for end-of-life care as well as the ability to communicate with family members during periods of grief. The use of simulated clinical experiences offers nursing students a safe, controlled environment to practice key skills in critical moments. This project aims to empower the next generation of nurses to care for pediatric patients and their families in times of loss.
