Abstract
BACKGROUND: Since dementia is an irreversible progressive disease characterized by a decline in mental functions and overall health, a palliative care approach is recommended. Nevertheless, many persons with dementia experience burdensome hospitalizations in end-of-life care. Their quality of life during hospitalization can be improved by palliative nursing care that suits their fragile health.
AIM: To explore hospital nurses' perceived support needs while providing high-quality palliative care for persons with dementia and to identify differences between nurses in different ward types and at different educational levels.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional, multicenter survey study.
METHOD: Between January 2021 and April 2021, a convenience sample of Dutch hospital nurses received a web-based questionnaire on the topics of palliative caregiving, communication, collaboration, and hospital admissions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: The survey was completed by 235 nurses. The most frequently endorsed support needs were "communicating with persons with severe dementia" (58.3%), "appointing a permanent contact person in the care for persons with dementia" (53.6%), and "dealing with family disagreement in end-of-life care" (53.2%). If nurses had more time to provide care, 66.4% of them would prioritize providing personal attention. Most support needs identified by nurses were similar.
CONCLUSION: A heterogeneous group of nurses demonstrates overall similar support needs in providing palliative care for persons with dementia and their families in the hospital setting.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nursing practices should implement dementia-friendly interventions to improve the quality of dementia care in the hospital.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 405-412 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Nursing Scholarship |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 11 Oct 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2023 |