{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T05:07:01Z","timestamp":1790140021053,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790121600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Non-communicable diseases, such as neurological disorders manifesting as dementia, often necessitate a shift in the nature of care \u2013 from long-term to palliative. Nurses play a particularly important role in this transition, as they spend the most time with patients: both in healthcare facilities and in home-care settings. Their competencies begin to develop already during their medical education. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess nursing students\u2019 knowledge of palliative care.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n The university-based cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing students (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u2009925) from one of the oldest and leading universities in Poland. The study was based on a survey questionnaire consisted of a demographic part, Palliative Care Knowledge (PaCKs) scale, and 17 closed-ended, single-choice questions evaluating the students\u2019 detailed knowledge of palliative care. Statistical significance (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009&lt;\u20090.05) was determined using the Chi-square test.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Polish nursing students (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u2009925; average response rate, 83%) demonstrate a moderate level of knowledge regarding palliative care, as reflected in both the 13-item PaCKs scale score (9.64\u2009\u00b1\u20091.99; mean\u2009\u00b1\u2009SD) and the percentage of correct answers to 17 researcher-developed questions (53.25%). Associations were identified between correct answers on the PaCKs scale and the age of respondents (7 items;\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u20090.0024\u20130.0438), year of study (6 items;\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u20090.001\u20130.0499), and place of residence (2 items;\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u20090.0121 and 0.0266). Only one-fifth of respondents had ever considered pursuing a career in palliative care after graduation.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n Although the results of the study were relatively satisfactory, it is evident that nursing students require greater clarity and a deeper understanding of the nuances of palliative care. Addressing this knowledge gap may be achieved through comprehensive education that covers palliative, hospice, and long-term care, clarifying the appropriate contexts for each. Some of the more unexpected observations warrant further investigation.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1873987","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T04:50:16Z","timestamp":1790139016000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Palliative care knowledge among nursing students at a Polish medical university: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Natalia","family":"Pisarek","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development of Nursing and Social & Medical Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw","place":["Warsaw, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tomasz","family":"Kryczka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development of Nursing and Social & Medical Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw","place":["Warsaw, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e883","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(19)30172-X","article-title":"The escalating global burden of serious health-related suffering: projections to 2060 by world regions, age groups, and health conditions","volume":"7","author":"Sleeman","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Health"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1436236","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1436236","article-title":"Non-communicable diseases in the world over the past century: a secondary data analysis","volume":"12","author":"Taheri Soodejani","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3488","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph16183488","article-title":"Perspectives on disability and non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on stroke and dementia","volume":"16","author":"Prynn","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"26323524261467422","DOI":"10.1177\/26323524261467422","article-title":"What factors predict severity of palliative care symptoms and concerns in COPD in South Africa? 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