What knowledge and understanding do nurses in the Emergency department have caring for people with Dementia?

Abstract

Background About one fifth of people who attend emergency departments are older people (Downing and Wilson. 2005) with an estimated 298,867 attendances; by people who have dementia at Emergency Departments in the UK each year (Luengo-Fernandez, Leal, and Gray, 2010). Lack of dementia knowledge in hospital staff, together with demanding workloads and pressure on beds means that people with dementia are often labelled as difficult and staff often medicate or transfer them on to a psychiatric hospital since they don't know how to deal with the nature of dementia (Moyle et al. 2008). Aims This study aims to identify the knowledge and understanding nurses within emergency departments have of the care of patients suffering from dementia. This study will investigate whether nurses' education needs are being met or whether a specific education needs to be developed. Methods The study uses an exploratory descriptive study and the research design would be a quantitative survey followed by qualitative semi structured interviews. The sample would be nurses with more than 1 years' experience within emergency departments. Data will be collected through questionnaires with open and closed questions. Sub sample of the total sample would then be followed up with semi structured interviews. Results would be used to support the development of further training programmes to meet the learning needs of nurses which in turn will improve the current situation so that people with dementia receive care that takes into account their individual needs and human dignity (Moyle et al. 2010).