Traditional education in palliative care often constrains the development of clinical competencies and positive attitudes that alleviate suffering and enhance patients’ quality of life. Gamification has emerged as an innovative strategy to enhance both knowledge and attitudes in this field. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a gamified educational intervention in improving palliative care knowledge among nursing students at a public university. Methods: A single-group, pre–post quasi-experimental study was conducted between October 2024 and February 2025, involving 136 nursing students enrolled in the academic periods May 2024–April 2025 and September 2024–August 2025. Participants were selected using stratified probabilistic sampling. The demographic variables included age, sex, academic level, and the clinical practice area. Palliative care knowledge was assessed using the Spanish version of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN-SV). The educational intervention comprised a gamified program consisting of ten thematic modules delivered over a 16-week period. Results: The average student age was 22 years (SD = 1.89). The baseline knowledge scores were moderate, with a mean of 11.66 (SD = 2.37). Following the intervention, a significant improvement was observed, with a post-intervention mean of 15.80 (SD = 1.13). Conclusions: The gamified intervention significantly improved palliative care knowledge, particularly in the reinforced content areas. These findings support the incorporation of active learning methodologies such as gamification into nursing education curricula. Future studies should be performed to explore its long-term impact and applicability in clinical practice.

This work provides an in-depth and current overview of palliative care, emphasizing its vital role in caring for patients with advanced diseases. Using a comprehensive approach, it covers the clinical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of illness and death. The book explores the historical context, the current legal framework in Ecuador, and the bioethical challenges related to end-of-life issues, offering practical tools for informed and ethical decision-making. Additionally, it highlights the importance of therapeutic communication, active listening, and emotional support for both patients and their families. Aimed at healthcare professionals and students, this volume serves as a crucial guide to delivering quality palliative care rooted in dignity, respect, and the enhancement of life quality during life’s most vulnerable moments.

Background: Healthy lifestyles in Indigenous populations cannot be understood solely based on biomedical categories; they require approaches that consider cultural meanings, material conditions, and community relationships. Objective: This study aimed to understand the lived experiences and perceptions of healthy lifestyles among Kichwa Kayambi Indigenous adults in the community of Pijal, Imbabura, Ecuador. Methods: An interpretative qualitative study was conducted based on 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Indigenous adults (15 women, 5 men; ages 25–72 years). The analysis followed a hybrid thematic approach with double coding and analyst triangulation. Leininger’s Theory of Diversity and Universality of Cultural Care and Pender’s Health Promotion Model were used as sensitizing concepts. Results: Three interrelated categories emerged. First, responsibility for health care is assumed as a daily decision, conditioned by economic barriers and facilitated by community cohesion. Second, life habits (physical activity linked to agricultural work, diet based on local products, rest according to work rhythms, ceremonial uses of tobacco and alcohol) articulate biomedical and traditional knowledge. Third, the Andean worldview integrates health with spirituality, the relationship with Pachamama, the use of medicinal plants, and intergenerational memory. Conclusions: A healthy life in this community is configured within a relational fabric where personal responsibility, daily habits, and the Andean worldview overlap in practices such as cultivating food, walking during work, preparing herbal remedies, and giving thanks for the harvest. A situated understanding of these meanings is essential for developing culturally congruent nursing interventions.

Traditional palliative care education may limit the development of clinical competencies and attitudes required to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life. Gamification has been proposed as an alternative educational strategy in this field. Background/Objectives: This study aimed to assess the association between gamification-based intervention and palliative care knowledge among nursing students at a public university. Methods: This single-group, pre–post-intervention study was conducted in the Nursing Program of the Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador, including 136 students from the accessible population. Palliative care knowledge was assessed before and after the intervention using the validated Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN-SV). Student satisfaction and Moodle usability were assessed using a 10-item Likert-type questionnaire. The gamified educational intervention was delivered online over 60 h. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for paired comparisons, and exploratory logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate contextual differences across hospitals. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: The mean age was 22.9 years (SD = 1.89), and 73.5% were female. Knowledge scores increased significantly after the intervention (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.001; r = 0.35). The proportion of students achieving sufficient knowledge (≥13 correct responses) increased from 27.2% (37/136) at baseline to 49.3% (67/136) post-intervention. Contextual analysis indicated variability across clinical training sites, with Lago Agrio showing higher odds of sufficient knowledge (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI [1.26–8.41]; p = 0.015). Conclusions: The gamified intervention was associated with increased palliative care knowledge among nursing students. Heterogeneity across hospitals suggests that contextual factors may influence the magnitude of change.