Scoping Review of Education on Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Health Care Professionals in the NICU.

Authors

Amy Rodriquez, Ashleigh E Butler, Sidharth Vemuri, Beverly Copnell

Published in

Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN. Oct 30, 2026. Epub Oct 30, 2026.

Abstract

To map the published literature on education for neonatal palliative care and end-of-life care for NICU personnel and to identify educational needs and key components of existing education programs.
Medline (OVID), Embase (OVID), Emcare (OVID), PsycINFO (OVID), and CINAHL (EBSCO).
Two reviewers independently screened 2,791 records and 144 full text reports for inclusion. We included 23 reports of original research studies in which researchers focused on educational needs or the provision of education for health care staff who worked in the NICU.
We extracted the following data from each included study: author(s), publication year, country, aims, study design, methods, sample, data collection method, learning needs, educational interventions, intervention characteristics (including content, delivery mode, and duration), and key study findings. We compiled data in an Excel spreadsheet, organized them according to study characteristics and intervention themes, and described them narratively.
We identified pain and symptom management, communication, and caring for the dying infant as educational needs. Education interventions comprised face-to-face workshops, online modules, case-based discussions, and PowerPoint presentations. Outcome evaluations primarily focused on self-reported confidence, knowledge, and perceived competence rather than objective changes in clinical practice or family experiences.
The evidence base for education on neonatal palliative and end-of-life care for NICU staff remains limited and fragmented. Current initiatives may lack relevance, specificity, or practical applicability. If education is approached solely from a professional perspective, it might not reflect family-centered care principles. The development of theory-informed program evaluation is needed to ensure that training effectively addresses practical and emotional complexities of neonatal palliative care.

PMID:
42962712
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 31 Oct 2026.

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