Evaluation of Educational Material to Improve Communication Between Nursing Assistants and District Nurses About Patients With Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of educational material to improve knowledge about cognitive impairment and dementia and communication between district nurses (DNs) and nursing assistants (NAs). Questionnaires were administered before and 4 months after the intervention in Stockholm, Sweden. Total number of subjects included were 12 DNs and 72 NAs. The DNs provided education for the NAs on dementia and how to communicate with the DNs. NAs’ understanding of what they should report to DNs improved as did their perceived communication with the DNs but they still did not report more than before the intervention, and exchange of information and feedback did not improve. DNs thought communication with the NAs did not work well. Participants experienced the educational materials as positive.