Knowledge, Attitude, and Confidence of Public Health Nurses in Dementia Care

As the increasing of elderly population, dementia will be an important issue about its medical care and social welfare in the future. The primary care team has an important place in dementia care. Public health nurses form important part of the team. The purpose of the study is to investigate Taipei county’s public health nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and confidence toward dementia care and their relevant influence factors. A cross-sectional study design was conducted via self questionnaire collected by mail. 225 questionnaire were returned. Significant results were:
1.The results of this study indicated that the average score of public health nurses’ knowledge toward dementia care is 18.95(SD=3.41)(total score is 25).Their knowledge regarding “the definition of dementia”, “the prevalence of dementia”, “progress of dementia”, and “the social welfare resource for the demented patients and their family, and providing caregivers with support” are not sufficient. Almost 50% public health nurses think the prevalence rate of dementia is low. They also do not know that how to use a memory test. The analysis of the influence factors revealed that the nurses having a more positive attitude towards dementia care , taking more interest in public health nursing , having experience in caring the demented patients and younger nurses have better knowledge in dementia care. These predictable factors can explain 28.1% of the total variations.
2.The public health nurses’ attitude toward dementia care is tended to positive. Public health nurses can understand families’ stress, be willing to participate in continuing education about dementia, and provide service. The analysis of the influence factors revealed that having higher confidence of dementia care, having higher knowledge of dementia care, and taking more interest in public health nursing have a more positive attitude towards dementia care. These predictable factors can explain 48.3% of the total variations.
3.The public health nurses have a little confidence in dementia care . Public health nurses have confidence in referring possible demented patients to hospital. But they have not confidence in using MMSE to detect possible demented patients and managing demented patients. The analysis of the influence factors finds that having a more positive attitude towards dementia care, and having psychiatric nursing experience have higher confidence of dementia care. These predictable factors can explain 42.7% of total variables.

Based on the results of this study, we suggested that the issue of dementia care should be incorporated into nurse education and in-service training. Also, dementia care should be become one of the auditing indicators for community health centers. A community based dementia care model need to be developed.