Nursing staff needs in providing palliative care for persons with dementia at home or in nursing homes: a survey

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate what types and forms of support nursing staff need in providing palliative care for persons with dementia. Another aim was to compare the needs of nursing staff with different educational levels and working in home care or in nursing homes.Design A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was used.Methods A questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of Dutch nursing staff working in the home care or nursing home setting. Data were collected from July through October 2018. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data from two open-ended survey questions were investigated using content analysis.Findings The sample comprised 416 respondents. Nursing staff with different educational levels and working in different settings indicated largely similar needs. The highest-ranking needs for support were in dealing with family disagreement in end-of-life decision making (58%), dealing with challenging behaviors (41%), and recognizing and managing pain (38%). The highest-ranking form of support was peer-to-peer learning (51%). If respondents would have more time to do their work, devoting personal attention would be a priority.Conclusions Nursing staff with different educational levels and working in home care or in nursing homes endorsed similar needs in providing palliative care for persons with dementia and their loved ones.Clinical Relevance It is critical to understand the specific needs of nursing staff in order to develop tailored strategies. Interventions aimed at increasing the competence of nursing staff in providing palliative care for persons with dementia may target similar areas to support a heterogeneous group of nurses and nurse assistants, working in home care or in a nursing home