Effects of End-of-Life Communication Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceived Behavioral Control on End-of-Life Communication Behaviors Among Nephrology Nurse Practitioners

The scope of end-of-life communication is not well known among nephrology advanced practice nurses (APNs). Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study aimed to examine the independent effects of knowledge, attitude, and perceived behavioral control on the engagement of APNs in end-of-life communication and the mediating and moderating effects of attitude and perceived behavioral control on the relationships between knowledge and end-of-life communication. A theoretically derived 17-item survey measuring the concepts was administered to a convenience sample of 127 APNs. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression were employed. Attitudes and perceived behavioral control on end-of-life communication mediated and moderated the relationship between knowledge of end-of-life communication and engagement in end-of-life communication among nephrology APNs.