how educating registered nurses on early signs and symptoms of dementia in older adults living in long term care facilities can improve patient health outcome objectives:
• To identify the educational support and tools available to registered nurses caring for patients with dementia and barriers to effective implementations of such tools in patient care.
• To identify how caring for patients with dementia affects registered nurses in relation to staff nurse burnout. • Upon completing the DNP project, registered nurses in long-term facilities will be better educated and equipped with skills needed for patient assessment using appropriate tools for early identification of dementia.
• Upon completion of the DNP project, to disseminate results to the staff at ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation and present findings to nursing leadership at one of the Hospice and Palliative Nurse Association Conferences.
Theoretical framework: Nursing Role effectiveness Model (NREM) Evidence based practice model: IOWA model five steps
1. identify the problem
2. form a team
3. critique of relevant research
4. implementing practice change
5.disseminate. purpose of the study The purpose of this Scholarly Practice Project is to identify current clinical assessment tools for evaluating patients in long-term nursing facilities living with dementia.
This will establish an understanding of the baseline knowledge of registered nurses directly involved in caring for these vulnerable populations.
Further nursing education will be tailored to bridge the gap in the knowledge required for effective assessment and early identification of signs and symptoms of dementia in patients to promote patient outcomes and improve quality of life.
