NUR342 Evidence Based Health Research And Practice
Question
Themed Discussion Post 2A
Backgrounds
Personal reflection
Reporting:
Responding:
Reasoning:
Reconstructing:
Importance to nursing
Answer
Themed Discussion Post 2A
Background
Dementia is a disorder characterized by dynamic psychological impedance and is related to disability in useful capacities and by and large, social and mental symptoms (Foley & Swanwick, 2014). It is usually caused by various factors like Alzheimer’s disease, depression, delirium, and so forth (Westendorf, Vaughn, & Duffy, n.d). This health problem affects many people. Dementia Australia (2018) highlights that about four hundred and twenty-five thousand people in Australia live with dementia currently. Females form almost 55% of this figure while males take up the other 45%. Even so, if measures to prevent or treat the disease are not developed, the figure is expected to rise to approximately five hundred and thirty-five thousand and 1.1 million by 2025 and 2056 respectively. This occurrence might lead to many deaths since dementia is the second leading death cause in Australia. It can be attributed to the 10.6% of all female deaths and 5.4% of all male deaths (Dementia Australia, 2018). In fact, Dementia Australia (2018) underscores that the health problem was the leading death cause among Australian females in 2016.
Importance to Nursing
Dementia as a clinical problem is crucial and relevant to nursing because of the various ways that it informs and shapes present and future practice. For example, as a clinical problem, dementia brings forth the need for patients to receive care from nurses. The care provided a patient with dementia is different from that offered to other individuals suffering from other diseases. In this regard, dementia highlights the manner in which care should be provided. Digby, Williams, & Lee (2016) talk about the association between caring for dementia patients and nurse empathy. In a way, dementia forces nurses to possess some level of empathy while caring for patients, a scenario that calls for person-centered care. This statement means that dementia also sets the platform for nurses to provide patient-centered care to patients by acknowledging the benefits of that move (Turner, Eccles, Elvish, Simpson, & Keady, 2017). This information proves that nurses should possess dementia nursing competencies (Traynor, Inoue, & Crookes, 2011), which might require training.
Personal Reflection
Reporting
While working at a nursing home, I managed to encounter various people who were living with dementia. Dealing with such people was difficult because of their jumbled speech, irritable behavior, restlessness, hallucinations, and so forth.
Responding
When taking care of one dementia patient, I decided to play the individual some soft music to calm the person down and gave the same individual a bottle of water to drink. Even so, the patient refused to drink the water and continued with the jumbled speech and restlessness.
Relating
This occurrence enabled me to understand that dementia nursing competencies are abilities that all nurses should possess to enable them to provide patient-centered care to all dementia patients. Training is crucial to ensure all nurses learn and internalize such competencies (Turner et al., 2017).
Reasoning
This incident enabled me to comprehend that knowledge, skills, and information concerning how to deal with dementia patients are vital resources. They enable comprehension of the techniques that can be used to engage with patients as well as offer them patient-centered care.
Reconstructing
This incident has made me resolve to learn more about dementia and its various aspects in the future to enable me to acquire all the necessary information, knowledge, and skills that are associated with the measures of preventing, managing, or treating this clinical problem.
References
Dementia Australia. (2018). Dementia statistics for media. Dementia Australia. Retrieved 18th August 2018, from, https://www.dementia.org.au/media/key-facts-and-statistics.
Digby, R., Williams, A., & Lee, S. (2016). Nurse empathy and the care of people with dementia. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The, 34(1), 52-59. Retrieved 18th August 2018, from, https://www.ajan.com.au/Vol34/Issue1/6Digby.pdf.
Foley, T., & Swanwick, G. (2014). Dementia: diagnosis and management in general practice. Irish College of General Practitioners. Quality in Practice Committee. Retrieved 18th August 2018, from, https://www.demenzemedicinagenerale.net/pdf/ICGP_QIP_DementiaJuly2014.pdf.
Mary Benbow, S., Tsaroucha, A., Ashley, M., Morgan, K., & Kingston, P. (2011). Patients’ and carers’ views on dementia workforce skills. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, 6(4), 195-202. DOI: 10.1108/17556221111194536.
Robinson, J. G. (2007). Utilizing best practice in dementia care. Canadian Nursing Home, 18(1), 21. Retrieved 19th August 2018, from, https://www.broadmeadcare.com/sites/default/files/documents/best%20practices%20dementia%20care%20-%20cnh.pdf.
Traynor, V., Inoue, K., & Crookes, P. (2011). Literature review: understanding nursing competence in dementia care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20(13?14), 1948-1960. Retrieved 18th August 2018, from, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/df13/2c1d7584d71f33cae5da978128f33d24871c.pdf.
Tsaroucha, A., Benbow, S. M., Kingston, P., & Mesurier, N. L. (2013). Dementia skills for all: a core competency framework for the workforce in the United Kingdom. Dementia, 12(1), 29-44. DOI: 10.1177/1471301211416302.
Turner, A., Eccles, F. J., Elvish, R., Simpson, J., & Keady, J. (2017). The experience of caring for patients with dementia within a general hospital setting: a meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature. Aging & Mental Health, 21(1), 66-76. Retrieved 18th August 2018, from, https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/76132/1/Lit_review_ed_revised_submitted_clean_1_.pdf.
Westendorf, S., Vaughn, N., & Duffy, C. J. (n.d). Causes of dementia. Cerebral Assessment Systems, Inc. Retrieved 18th August 2018, from, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7196/01a2a793c5028cd315d1573a8719e8bf0015.pdf.
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