Perceived quality of collaboration in dehydration care among Dutch nursing home professionals: A cross-sectional study

S.J.C. Paulis*, I.H.J. Everink, R.J.G. Halfens, C. Lohrmann, J.M.G.A. Schols

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Aim To explore the perceived quality of collaboration in dehydration care among nursing and medical staff in Dutch nursing homes. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods An online questionnaire was administered to nursing and medical staff in February 2020 to assess the quality of collaboration in dehydration care and its influencing factors. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to describe the results and examine differences between groups. Results In total, 695 questionnaires were completed by multiple levels of (specialized) nursing staff and nursing home physicians. The quality of collaboration was assessed as good (23.2%), sufficient (59.4%) and insufficient (17.4%). Predicting factors related to perceiving the quality of collaboration as good were working experience, dehydration training during education and the presence of a dehydration protocol/guideline in the nursing home. Enabling factors related to collaboration in dehydration care were 'availability of sufficient aids to detect dehydration', 'continuity in the care relationship' and 'sufficient background data of the resident in the care record'. Factors that hinder collaboration were 'insufficient knowledge about dehydration among nursing and medical staff', 'the absence of a team meeting in which the topic dehydration is discussed' and 'insufficient staffing level among nursing and medical staff'. Conclusion Collaboration in dehydration care was generally assessed as sufficient. Participants with >10 years of working experience, who received dehydration training during their education and had a dehydration protocol/guideline available in the nursing home, perceived the quality of collaboration more often as good. Experienced barriers and enablers for collaboration in dehydration care varied between professional groups. Therefore, it is important to gain more insight into (informal) caregivers' perceptions on what is expected from each other about dehydration care. Impact Care professionals experience several limiting factors in collaborating in dehydration care. Addressing these factors could optimize dehydration care in Dutch nursing homes.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2357-2366
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Advanced Nursing
Volume78
Issue number8
Early online date3 Jan 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

Keywords

  • care professionals
  • collaboration
  • dehydration
  • nurses
  • nursing home
  • questionnaire
  • OLDER-PEOPLE
  • COMMUNICATION

Cite this