Knowing Versus Doing: Education and Training Needs of Staff in a Chronic Care Hospital Unit for Individuals With Dementia

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading this Article Instructions 1. 2 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http: //goo. gl/gMfXaf. To obtain contact hours you must: 1. Read the article, “Knowing Versus Doing: Education and Training Needs of Staff in a Chronic Care Hospital Unit for Individuals With Dementia” found on pages 26–34, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz. 2. Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study. 3. Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the 20. 00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated. This activity is valid for continuing education credit until November 30, 2016. Contact Hours This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated. Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Activity Objectives 1. Discuss the learning needs of staff on a dementia care unit. 2. Describe challenging behaviors that occur in patients with dementia. Disclosure Statement Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose. Hospital clinical staff routinely confront challenging behaviors in patients with dementia with limited training in prevention and management. The authors of the current article conducted a survey of staff on a chronic care hospital unit concerning knowledge about dementia, perceived educational needs, and the care environment. The overall mean score for a 27-item knowledge scale was 24. 08 (SD = 2. 61), reflecting high level of disease knowledge. However, staff indicated a need for more information and skills, specifically for managing behaviors nonpharmacologically (92. 3%), enhancing patient safety (89. 7%), coping with care challenges (84. 2%), and involving patients in activities (81. 6%). Although most staff (i. e. , nurses 80% and therapists 86. 4%) believed their care contributed a great deal to patient well-being, approximately 75% reported frustration and being overwhelmed by dementia care. Most reported being hit, bitten, or physically hurt by patients (66. 7%), as well as disrespected by families (53. 8%). Findings suggest that staff have foundational knowledge but lack the “how-to” or hands-on skills necessary to implement nonpharmacological behavioral management approaches and communicate with families. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40 (12), 26–34.