Caring for older people with dementia in hospital Part one: challenges

BACKGROUND: Nursing students often care for older people with dementia during placements. The quality of the students' experience is important. AIM: To explore adult nursing students' experiences of caring for older people with dementia in hospital. METHOD: Four focus groups were conducted at one English university. The data were analysed thematically and this article presents the challenges that students experienced. FINDINGS: The hospital's physical environment and organisational culture, deficits in the knowledge and skills of staff and students, and negative staff attitudes led to students struggling to provide care. CONCLUSION: More dementia-friendly hospital environments and better educated staff will enhance students' learning experiences. Nursing students require early preparation for caring for older people with dementia.