Dementia Knowledge, Attitude toward Dementia, and Confidence in Dementia Care: Impact of a Dementia Training on German Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: The number of people with dementia (PwD) in acute care hospitals is steadily increasing, posing a challenge for those who work closely with patients. To date, no German study has addressed the extent to which prospective nurses benefit from dementia training in terms of their knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in caring for PwD.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate whether a validated dementia training for registered nurses can positively change nursing students' knowledge about dementia, their attitude toward PwD, and their confidence in caring for them, as well as the stability over time.

METHODS: In the one-group pre-test, post-test design, a sample of 81 nursing students was recruited from two nursing schools in Germany between May and June 2023. They completed a questionnaire consisting of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale, the Dementia Attitude Scale, and the Confidence in Dementia Scale, as well as sociodemographic questions and experiences with PwD at three measurement points. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test and repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS: The training has a significant effect on knowledge in dementia (z = -5.07, p <  0.001), attitude toward PwD (z = -4.42, p <  0.001), and confidence in caring for them at the post-test (z = -3. 21, p <  0.001, r = 0.36). The repeated measures ANOVA shows stability over time only for dementia knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the need for further research in this field as well as the validation of the dementia training specifically addressing nursing students.