Lebanon ranks among the smallest nations globally, covering a total area of 10,452 square kilometers. At present, male life expectancy in the country is around 76.6 years, while female life expectancy reaches approximately 79.3 years. It is widely acknowledged that extended longevity often entails chronic conditions, major illnesses, and greater demands on healthcare resources. Given the rapid growth of the aging population and the steadily rising life expectancy, a corresponding increase in age-related health problems is anticipated. These include non-communicable diseases as well as cancer. As the largest professional group in Lebanon’s healthcare system, nurses play a central role in shaping and improving the standard of palliative care (PC) provided across all stages of illness. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a dedicated educational workshop in enhancing knowledge, attitudes, and practical skills in palliative care among working nurses at a university-affiliated medical center in Lebanon. The research adopted a mixed-methods design that combined a quasi-experimental component with a qualitative process evaluation. This allowed for measuring nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills regarding palliative care before and after the intervention, while also assessing the workshop process itself. A convenience sample consisting of 45 registered nurses from diverse clinical departments within the university medical center participated. The one-day workshop was held at a major referral hospital located in Beirut. Inferential statistics were applied for data analysis.
All data were processed using SPSS version 25 for Windows. A paired t-test indicated a statistically significant improvement in scores from pre-test to post-test [t(39) = 11.07, P < 0.001], with a 95% confidence interval for the mean difference of (17.58–25.45). Before the workshop, 38 participants (90.5%) failed the examination; after the workshop, this number dropped to 12 (30.0%). Strong emphasis is placed on monitoring workshop attendees over time to evaluate both short- and long-term effects of the training. In addition, similar educational workshops should be extended to reach a larger number of nurses throughout Lebanon and neighboring countries in the region.
