Death is an unavoidable part of life for all beings. The choices made as death nears can significantly affect this process. These choices are influenced by many factors, including but not limited to race, religion, cultural beliefs, health literacy, and education. When facing death, each person’s worldview shapes the decisions they make for themselves and for loved ones. Research indicates that African Americans are less likely to engage in advance care planning, often referred to as end-of-life care, compared to their white counterparts, which leads to a diminished quality during the critical time at end-of-life (EOL). Addressing this disparity is vital for improving health outcomes and ensuring that all individuals receive compassionate and appropriate care as they approach the end of life. Educating nurses about EOL care has been shown to effectively improve EOL decision-making among African Americans. The proposed project guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, is focused on educating nurses to provide care focused versus cure focused patient care at EOL for African American patients at a suburban acute care community hospital in the Northeast. This project aims to: 1) increase the confidence of nurses in communicating effectively with patients and families about EOL care, particularly patients and families who are less likely to use EOL services such as African Americans; 2) increase the number of African American individuals and familiies who use EOL care services at EOL to experience a more comfortable death with dignity.
