Development and pilot evaluation of a Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Training program for nurses in Cameroon

Abstract

Background: There is a growing need for psychosocial oncology and palliative care training among nurses in Cameroon and other low-resource settings, where formal education in these domains remains limited. The Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Training (POPCaT) program was developed to address this gap by providing a blended, contextually relevant training to nurses working in some healthcare settings in Cameroon. Objective: To evaluate the implementation, outcomes, and participant experiences of the POPCaT training pilot delivered across six health facilities in Cameroon. Methods: This was a pilot evaluation conducted immediately following a 4-day intensive POPCaT training. The course combined didactic lectures, interactive group work, clinical case discussions, role-plays, and a supervised visit to a palliative care unit. Fifty-two nurses purposively selected from six health facilities participated in the training, and 48 voluntarily completed the post-training evaluation. Quantitative data were collected via a structured survey containing closed-ended Likert scale questions assessing course satisfaction, content relevance, learning outcomes, and likelihood of practice implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended questions exploring motivations, course experiences, perceived strengths, limitations, and post-course intentions. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze open-text responses. Results: Participants were mostly female (83.3%) with a mean age of 38.2 years and varying levels of clinical experience. Most (64.5%) held a nursing diploma, while only 31.3% had prior oncology training. Overall course satisfaction was high, with 77.1% rating the program as "very good" and 93.8% reporting a strong likelihood to implement learning in practice. Participants praised the course content, relevance, interactive methods, and facilitator expertise. Key strengths included clinical exposure, bilingual delivery, and group learning. Areas for improvement included calls for expanded content on breaking bad news, cultural and spiritual care, sexuality, survivorship, and practical service implementation. Conclusion: The POPCaT training was positively received, enhanced nurses' confidence and knowledge, and generated actionable post-course plans across individual, clinical, and institutional levels. Findings support the relevance and scalability of this model for strengthening palliative and psychosocial oncology care in low-resource settings. Future iterations should incorporate suggested enhancements and explore long-term impacts on practice and patient outcomes.