A comparative study of population characteristics and capacity aspects of dementia care between the nursing home and hospital nurses in Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

Nurses play an important role in dementia care delivery in hospitals and communities. Exploring nurses’ capacity aspects in dementia care such as knowledge, attitudes, and confidence is essential for developing appropriate health professional education to achieve optimal care in different aged care facilities. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe and examine the differences in population characteristics and dementia care capacity between the nursing home and hospital nurses in Hanoi, Vietnam from January to March 2023. Data were collected using three self-administered questionnaires: The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS), the Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS), and the Confidence in Dementia Scale (CODE). The number of nursing home and hospital nurses completing the survey was 111 and 158 respectively. There were no statistically significant difference in the mean of the total knowledge score and attitude score between the two nurse groups. Hospital nurses were more knowledgeable about the dementia pathology and health promotion, whereas nursing home nurses had a better understanding of communication and dealing with behavioral difficulties in patients, as well as having more confidence (p<0.05). Different professional training for different types of facilities should be developed and implemented to achieve qualified dementia care.