Abstract
Dementia training for third-semester nursing students – involving people with dementia
Background: Improving care for people with dementia demands a society that focuses on the needs of a person with dementia and their relatives. Therefore, ways to disseminate knowledge about dementia in nursing education must continue to develop, as we learn more about the needs of families living with dementia.
Aim: Develop a nursing training program on dementia in the context of clinical leadership in nursing.
Method: Third-semester nursing students were subjected to a curriculum with 16 lessons about dementia and person-centred care. The topic of dementia was framed within the theme of nursing leadership to prepare the students for work that involved collaborating with people with dementia and their relatives. The basis for the program were handbooks about dementia from the Danish Health Authority, e-learning programs from the Danish Dementia Research Centre, national reports and scientific articles, and a Q&A session in class with people with dementia. To gather information about this extended program, students were invited to participate in focus group interviews about their experiences with the program. The course was run in the spring and autumn of 2022. In all, eight students were interviewed in three small, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed, and the text was thematically analysed.
Conclusion: The program was found to be relevant, well-structured, and especially the Q&A session was praised by the students. They were surprised how complex and potentially severe living with dementia is, but on the other hand, found it professionally satisfying to learn how a person-centred approach can help overcome many of the challenges dementia can pose. The students also praised the in-class opportunities to get to hear fellow students’ experiences with dementia, as it made them feel less alone with the notion that dementia care can be difficult as a young nursing student.
Background: Improving care for people with dementia demands a society that focuses on the needs of a person with dementia and their relatives. Therefore, ways to disseminate knowledge about dementia in nursing education must continue to develop, as we learn more about the needs of families living with dementia.
Aim: Develop a nursing training program on dementia in the context of clinical leadership in nursing.
Method: Third-semester nursing students were subjected to a curriculum with 16 lessons about dementia and person-centred care. The topic of dementia was framed within the theme of nursing leadership to prepare the students for work that involved collaborating with people with dementia and their relatives. The basis for the program were handbooks about dementia from the Danish Health Authority, e-learning programs from the Danish Dementia Research Centre, national reports and scientific articles, and a Q&A session in class with people with dementia. To gather information about this extended program, students were invited to participate in focus group interviews about their experiences with the program. The course was run in the spring and autumn of 2022. In all, eight students were interviewed in three small, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed, and the text was thematically analysed.
Conclusion: The program was found to be relevant, well-structured, and especially the Q&A session was praised by the students. They were surprised how complex and potentially severe living with dementia is, but on the other hand, found it professionally satisfying to learn how a person-centred approach can help overcome many of the challenges dementia can pose. The students also praised the in-class opportunities to get to hear fellow students’ experiences with dementia, as it made them feel less alone with the notion that dementia care can be difficult as a young nursing student.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Publikationsdato | 17 okt. 2023 |
| Status | Udgivet - 17 okt. 2023 |
| Begivenhed | 33rd Alzheimer Europe Conference 2023 - Helsinki, Finland Varighed: 16 okt. 2023 → 18 okt. 2023 |
Konference
| Konference | 33rd Alzheimer Europe Conference 2023 |
|---|---|
| Land/Område | Finland |
| By | Helsinki |
| Periode | 16/10/23 → 18/10/23 |