Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Palliative Care at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife

Background: Palliative care remains underutilised in Nigerian health systems, partly due to insufficient nurse knowledge and negative attitudes toward end-of-life care. Aim: This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward palliative care at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 110 registered nurses selected through stratified random sampling. The Palliative Care Knowledge Test and the Frommelt Attitude toward Care of the Dying scale were administered. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27. Results: Only 38% of respondents demonstrated good palliative care knowledge, with the largest deficits in pain management pharmacology and spiritual care principles. Attitudes were moderately positive in 56% of participants. Nurses with oncology or intensive care experience held more positive attitudes. Conclusion: Low palliative care knowledge among nurses is a barrier to quality end-of-life care in Nigeria. The study recommends inclusion of palliative care competencies in undergraduate nursing curricula, post-basic palliative nursing training, and development of hospital-based palliative care teams. Keywords: palliative care, nursing knowledge, end-of-life, Ile-Ife, dying patients.