EVALUATION OF A COURSE FOR CHARGE NURSES ON CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA

The provision by nurses of appropriate levels of care for people with dementia is considered to be adversely affected by the inadequate prov ision of post basic education. This paper reports on a study that seek s to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief educational programme for c harge nurses caring for people with dementia. In addition it focuses o n behavioural change resulting from the course, for example, the degre e of involvement of relatives in the care of their family member. The course is seen as a model for short courses for nurses working in this area. Qualitative methodology was utilized involving questionnaires a nd focused group interviews. The evaluation of the course incorporated pre- and post-test design. The study identified factors that enhanced the charge nurses' educational experience. These factors included a c ourse design incorporating andragogical teaching methods and the imple mentation of an action plan. The study also highlighted problems exper ienced by charge nurses in implementing an action plan. The action pla n demonstrated that the type of involvement of relatives is more compl ex than presupposed and depended on such factors as the fear experienc ed by the relative of being left with the responsibility to care for t heir family member should they offer to contribute to their care in ho spital. Recommendations for the design of future courses are made.