Nurses' experiences caring for patients with dementia : a phenomenological study

Abstract

Very little research has been conducted on the experiences of nurses who care for patients with dementia. This study is an attempt to fill in some of the gaps related to the experiences of these formal caregivers. Much research has already been conducted on the experiences of both family caregivers and patients with dementia, yet the experience of a formal caregiver may be quite different. There may be unique challenges associated with providing nursing care to patients with dementia. This study allowed for a greater understanding of the complex care associated with dementia. With this increased understanding comes the opportunity to improve the quality of care for patients and the work life of the nursing staff. -- The purpose of my study was to explore the experiences of professional nurses who care for patients with dementia and gain an understanding of the lived experience of these nurses. Phenomenology was the method chosen. An unstructured interview approach was used to encourage participants to reflect on their clinical practice. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed for analysis. Eight nurses were interviewed from three long-term-care agencies in St. John's, Newfoundland. Several themes were identified from the data analysis including seeing beyond the confusion, caregiving as rewarding, meeting challenges, creating a caring environment, and being devalued by the nature of the caregiving work. These themes were interrelated and formed the essence of the nurses' experience caring for patients with dementia. Implications for nursing research, education, and practice were drawn from the research data.