The experience of people with dementia and nurses in hospital: an integrative review

Abstract

Nurses must understand the complex needs of people with dementia in hospital. Nurse education about dementia, practical support, strong clinical leadership and role-modelling is needed. Empathy for patients regardless of diagnosis must remain a core attribute of nurses. Current hospital culture requires wider system review to mitigate against stigmatisation of patients with dementia.

Experiences of nurses with the care of patients with dementia in acute hospitals: A secondary analysis

“…The findings show that caring for PwD in acute settings is always accompanied by great uncertainty for nurses and that individual nurses react in different ways to address their uncertainty. The findings reinforce earlier studies that reported that caring for people with cognitive impairment in acute care settings is complex and challenging and that there are different barriers to ensuring appropriate care for PwD (Digby et al., ; Houghton et al., ; Turner et al., ).…”

A qualitative focus group discussion study on the experiences of Certified Nurses in Dementia Nursing related to effective staff education

“…As mentioned previously, the Japanese government introduced financial benefits in the form of paid medical fees for the appropriate and effective care of patients with dementia in acute care hospitals. However, many nurses feel that patients with dementia disrupt the normal hospital routine and create an obstacle in the delivery of medical care to other patients (Digby, Lee, & Williams, ). In acute hospitals in particular, where nurses need to address the needs of many patients simultaneously, the staff considers the care of patients with dementia to be “troublesome” (Featherstone, Northcott, & Bridges, ).…”

Dementia care in acute hospitals—A qualitative study on nurse managers’ perceived challenges and solutions

“…They are also more likely to be discharged to a care home resulting in further financial costs for local health and social care services (Connolly & O’Shea, ). People living with dementia in hospitals and their family caregivers have reported negative experiences of hospital stay (Digby, Lee, & Williams, ). Qualitative studies have shown that acute care staff find it difficult to deliver person‐centred dementia care (Clissett, Porock, Harwood, & Gladman, ) and meet the holistic needs of their patients (Scerri, Innes, & Scerri, ).…”