Perceptions of Prelicensure Nursing Students Regarding Person-Centered Dementia Care: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) have been identified as national and international public health concerns. Person-centered dementia care (PCDC) stands out as the gold standard approach to care for people living with dementia (PwD) across all disease stages. Despite efforts to enhance the knowledge and competency of nurses in providing PCDC, there is still work to be done. Nurses continue to adhere to task-oriented and routine approaches, citing constraints such as time limitations, lack of knowledge, heavy workloads, and various other multifactorial reasons. Additionally, the absence of a strong emphasis on PCDC in nursing education appears to be one of the contributing factors. Therefore, addressing this issue from the early stages of acquiring professional nursing knowledge is crucial to ensure that the future generation of nurses is competent in delivering the highest quality care, particularly as the population of older adults continues to grow, a population at risk of developing ADRDs. This dissertation aimed to explore the perceptions of prelicensure nursing students (PNS) regarding PCDC, using Brooker’s VIPS model as a conceptual framework. Employing a cross-sectional descriptive and qualitative design, PNSs at UWM, School of Nursing, were recruited through flyers. Data collection involved virtual semi-structured individual interviews conducted using an interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and it yielded five main themes: Knowledge of PCDC Intervention, PCDC Negatively Viewed as an Intervention, Education, LTCFs, and Joining Dementia Care Workforce. PNSs showed more-than-expected knowledge of PCDC but expressed a need for more practical knowledge on dementia care. These findings are important for informing changes in PCDC teaching strategies and guiding educators in curriculum modifications based on student experiences.