Abstract
Background
An increasing number of people with dementia (PwD) are being hospitalized due to acute conditions. The surrounding conditions and procedures in acute hospitals are not oriented to the special needs of this vulnerable patient group. The behavior of PwD poses particular challenges and burdens for nursing staff.
Objective
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-day dementia training program with a self-reflection component compared to a standard 1.5‑h training of nursing staff caring for PwD in acute hospitals.
Methods
A nonrandomized pretest-posttest study with a control group was conducted in three German acute hospitals. Through a questionnaire, nursing staff caring for PwD were examined for potential changes in attitude, strain and confidence levels. The intervention group (n = 32) received a 2-day training program, “EduKation demenz® Nursing”, the control group (n = 36) participated in a short,1.5‑h dementia training.
Results
Compared to the control group, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in perceived strain (p = 0.007) and in confidence in caring for PwD (p < 0.001). There were positive but not significant changes in attitude (p = 0.176).
Conclusion
“EduKation demenz® Nursing”, a 2-day training program with a self-reflection component, could provide more effective support for nursing staff in acute hospitals caring for PwD than a 1.5‑h training. Results indicate, however, that general conditions in acute hospitals should be changed to allow nursing staff to apply the knowledge gained.
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Immer mehr Menschen mit Demenz (PwD) werden aufgrund einer akuten Erkrankung ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert. Die Rahmenbedingungen und Abläufe in Akutkrankenhäusern sind jedoch nicht auf die besonderen Bedürfnisse dieser vulnerablen Patientengruppe ausgerichtet. Das Verhalten von PwD stellt insbesondere Pflegekräfte vor besondere Herausforderungen und Belastungen.
Ziel
Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Auswirkungen eines zweitägigen Demenz-Schulungsprogramms mit einer Komponente der Selbstreflexion im Vergleich zu einer 1,5-stündigen Schulung, wie sie für Pflegekräfte im Akutkrankenhaus eher üblich ist, zu untersuchen.
Methode
Die Studie wurde als explorative Pilotstudie unter Verwendung eines Prä- und Posttestdesigns mit einer Interventionsgruppe und einer Kontrollgruppe in drei deutschen Akutkrankenhäusern durchgeführt. Mittels einer schriftlichen Befragung wurden mögliche Veränderungen in der Einstellung, der Belastung und der Handlungssicherheit der Pflegekräfte im Umgang von PwD untersucht. Die Intervention bestand aus dem zweitägigen Trainingsprogramm „EduKation demenz® Pflege“ im Akutkrankenhaus (n = 32) und einer 1,5-stündigen Fortbildung zum Thema Demenz der Kontrollgruppe (n = 36).
Ergebnisse
Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe zeigte die Interventionsgruppe eine statistisch signifikante Verbesserung der wahrgenommenen Belastung (p = 0,007) und der Handlungssicherheit in der Betreuung von PwD (p < 0,001). Auch die Einstellung veränderte sich positiv, war aber im Verglich zur Kontrollgruppe nicht signifikant (p = 0,176).
Schlussfolgerung
Das zweitägige Trainingsprogramm „EduKation demenz® Pflege“ im Akutkrankenhaus mit einer Komponente der Selbstreflexion ist eine effektivere Unterstützung für Pflegekräfte im Umgang mit PwD als eine 1,5-stündige Schulung. Darüber hinaus müssen die Rahmenbedingungen in Akutkrankenhäusern verändert werden, damit Pflegekräfte die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse in der täglichen Arbeit anwenden können.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the participating acute hospitals for supporting this study and Ashley Basse-Lüsebrink for tidying up English grammar and expression in this manuscript.
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T.J. Gehr, C.C. Sieber, E. Freiberger and S.A. Engel declare that they have no competing interests.
All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 and its later amendments. Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study prior to data collection.
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This paper is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for obtaining the degree Dr. rer. biol. hum. (PhD in human biology) for the primary author.
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Gehr, T.J., Sieber, C.C., Freiberger, E. et al. “EduKation demenz® Nursing” in the acute hospital setting. Z Gerontol Geriat 54, 659–666 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-020-01838-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-020-01838-8