Assessing Nursing Assistants\u27 Knowledge of Behavioral Approaches to Mental Health Problems

Nurse\u27s aides are the primary caregivers in nursing homes, a major receiving site for elders with behavioral and psychiatric problems. We describe the development, psychometric properties, and utility of a brief instrument designed to assess aides\u27 knowledge of three specific mental health problems (depression, agitation, and disorientation) and behavioral approaches to them. The instrument was administered to 191 nurse\u27s aides and 21 clinicians with training in behavioral management and experience with older residents. The nurse\u27s aides averaged 11 of 17 correct answers, and the clinicians averaged 15 of 17 correct answers. Implications for staff training and consultation activities in nursing homes are discussed