Palliative care education in Lebanon: past endeavors and future outlook.

Within the framework of medical and nursing education, formal attention to training in palliative care (PC) continues to be overlooked by the majority of training programs. PC is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an "approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness...". In Lebanon, PC is new in the health care field and as such little is known about the preparation and education of nurses to provide PC. The purpose of this article is to describe present endeavors in Lebanon, and to recommend a model for future outlook. In conclusion PC education needs to be developed in Lebanon warranting the need for a foundation course in palliative and end-of-life care.