Description
AIM: Identify the palliative care learning needs of healthcare students and determine the acceptability of an innovative learning strategy for palliative care named competencia para cuidar en el hogar-paliar (CUIDAR-PALIAR) aimed to increase students' competencies. METHODS: A single-group mixed methods design was used. A questionnaire was designed and semi-structured interviews were used to determine the palliative care competencies of undergraduate students; 90 students participated in the strategy. FINDINGS: The learning needs of students are: approaches to death and loss, how to intervene with the patient's family, understanding of the palliative care context, management of the patient's pain and symptoms and the development of therapeutic communication skills. CONCLUSION: The strategy is highly accepted by students, and statistically significant increases in palliative care were observed before and after the intervention. These preliminary results justify future interventions due to the potential effect of the strategy CUIDAR-PALIAR in the development of competencies for palliative care in undergraduate students.