Date of Award
Summer 2023
Project Type
Thesis
College or School
CHHS
Department
Nursing
Departments (Collect)
Department of Nursing
Program or Major
Direct Entry Masters in Nursing
Degree Name
Master of Science
First Advisor
Pamela Kallmerten
Second Advisor
Kaitlynn Liset
Abstract
In 2022, 1.72 million people chose to use hospice as their end-of life care. This is a 6.8% increase from 2019, and the number of patients who choose to use hospice is increasing (Summers, 2022). The aim of this quality improvement (QI) study was to decrease levels of stress reported by the patient and informal caretakers by combining the information from the hospice program’s admission packet and other approved handouts, while standardizing the verbiage through a Flesch-Kincaid readability scale to an eighth-grade reading level. Pre-survey perceived stress scores averaged 22.97 on a modified Perceived-Stress Scale, and the mean of the post-survey averaged 19.38, suggesting a decrease in stress experienced by the patient and informal caretakers when provided with simplified, effective, and timely education.
Recommended Citation
Carter, Caroline Rose, "Giving Effective and Timely Hospice Education to Lessen Participant Stress (GET HELPS)" (2023). Master's Theses and Capstones. 1692.
https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/1692