Impact of a Palliative Care Education Program on Korean Hospice Volunteers: Motivation, Death Anxiety, and Communication with the Dying / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a two-week palliative care education program on Korean Hospice volunteers. METHODS: A total of 71 volunteers were assigned to two groups: Group A (intervention, n=34) and Group B (usual care, n=37). Group A received six sessions of palliative care education for two weeks. The level of volunteers' motivation, death anxiety, and communication with the dying were measured at baseline and after the program ended. RESULTS: The palliative care education program had positive influence on the volunteers' motivation (t=2.341, P=0.022), death anxiety (t=−2.166, P=0.034), and communication with the dying (t=−2.808, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that a palliative care education program may be an effective way to boost hospice volunteers' motivation, ease their death anxiety and improve their communication with the dying.