Palliative care: A comparison of knowledge between physician assistant and family nurse practitioner students

Abstract

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for patients who face life-limiting illness, but adequate training provided to physician assistant (PA) students remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to assess PA student knowledge regarding palliative care and compare their knowledge to other mid-level healthcare providers. A reliable self-report questionnaire, the Palliative Care Knowledge Test (PCKT), was given to 44 pre-clinical PA students at the end of their didactic education and 31 family nurse practitioner (FNP) students at the comparable time in their educational program. FNP students had significantly higher scores overall and in 4 out of 5 subcategories. PA education should place more focus on proper care for the chronically ill and end-of-life patient.