Background: Approximately 56,000 persons with dementia are admitted to hospitals annually and 75% of them experience responsive behaviours. Responsive behaviours are words/actions used to make one's needs known (e.g. wandering, yelling, hitting, and restlessness) and are perceived by healthcare professionals to be a challenging aspect of dementia care.
Aims: This study explores the perceptions of nurses about: (a) caring for older adults with dementia experiencing responsive behaviours in acute medical settings and (b) an educational intervention in dementia care called P.I.E.C.E.S. (Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Capabilities, Environmental, and Social assessment).
Methods: Thorne's interpretive description approach was used. In-person, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nurses and allied health professionals from acute medical settings in a hospital in Ontario. Data were analyzed using experiential thematic analysis.
Findings: Themes related to caring for individuals with responsive behaviours included the following: (a) providing nursing care for older adults with responsive behaviours of dementia is a complex experience, (b) there are many barriers to dementia care within acute medical settings, (c) nurses use a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to care for older adults with dementia, (d) there is limited continued use of P.I.E.C.E.S. education although the program and its approaches were seen as relevant for dementia care, and (e) participants viewed organizations as responsible for improving dementia care in acute medical settings.
Conclusions: Findings provide guidance for improved support for nurses who provide care to persons experiencing responsive behaviours in acute medical settings such as increasing staffing. Strategies should be implemented to provide continuous educational reinforcements to help staff apply P.I.E.C.E.S such as interdisciplinary rounds focusing on responsive behaviours. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/24430 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Yous, Marie-Lee |
| Contributors | Ploeg, Jenny, Nursing |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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