The effect of nurses' background on performance of nursing home resident oral health assessments pre‐ and post‐training

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nurses' background on their accuracy in determining oral health status and treatment need of newly admitted nursing home residents before and after tutoring. Eighteen nurses examined 50 nursing home residents before and after an In-service training lecture. Examinations performed by a dentist served as reference. Background items evaluated were: regularity of each nurse's own dental visits; years since graduation from nursing school; length of experience in an LTC facility; and training received in oral health care. At the second evaluation, nurses greatly improved the % agreement on all items. The results of this study indicate that, regardless of background characteristics, the combination of training, the presence of the dentist, and knowledge that they were in a study appeared to improve nurses' performance on the assessment. Before training, more experienced nurses were better able to determine hard tissue abnormalities than their less experienced counterparts; before training, neither group performed well in assessing soft tissue lesions. Therefore, improvements in basic nursing training in this area appear to be necessary.

Oral health care in private and small long‐term care facilities: a qualitative study

“…In this context, the degree of formal education and professional experience of the nursing personnel plays an important role in the diagnosis of those needs. If the execution of oral hygiene procedures is based on the concept of the existing needs, then this concept should be consolidated using scientific knowledge and on the carers’ awareness of the implications 15 .…”

Oral Assessment and Nursing Interventions among Nigerian Nurses-Knowledge, Practices and Educational Needs

“…A brief educational intervention among nurses resulted in short-term improved performance of oral health assessments. However, this, associated with increased invisibility of dental staff in the facility, is also a contributory factor (14, 15). …”

Conceptions of oral health among nurse managers. A qualitative analysis

“…Further, co‐operation with the dental service on a continuous basis is regarded as important for the improvement process in the form of repeated visits by a dentist or dental hygienist for the purpose of both patient consultation and education of the nursing personnel. Other studies confirm that oral health documentation increases awareness about the importance of oral health ( Adams 1996; Blank et al . 1996 ).…”

“…In addition, the education leads to the nurses keeping themselves updated in the area. The nurses’ overall ability to assess oral health status and treatment need is markedly improved after the education, complemented with a practical–clinical review performed by a dentist or dental hygienist ( Blank et al . 1996 ).…”