Wang Yao, Xiao Lily Dongxia, Huang Rong
Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
BMC Med Educ. 2020 Nov 16;20(1):436. doi: 10.1186/s12909-020-02365-1.
Dementia care requires inter-disciplinary collaboration starting from formal health professional education. Yet, little is known about how undergraduate medical and nursing students perceive dementia care in China. The aim of this study was to investigate undergraduate medical and nursing students' dementia knowledge, attitudes and care approach in China.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Students enrolled in a 5-year Bachelor of Medicine Program and a 4-year Bachelor of Nursing Program from four universities with campuses across Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern China were recruited into the study. Three validated instruments, Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), Dementia Care Attitude Scale (DCAS) and Approach to Advanced Dementia Care Questionnaire (ADCQ), were used to examine students' dementia knowledge, attitudes and perceived care approach. Data were collected using a self-administered survey.
The number of medical and nursing students completing the survey was 526 and 467 respectively. Students' overall knowledge about dementia was poor, but attitudes were generally positive. The overall mean score of students' dementia knowledge examined by the ADKS was 19.49 (SD = 2.82) out of 30, students' attitudes to dementia was 29.92(SD = 3.35) out of 40, and students' person-centred care approach of dementia was 5.42 (SD = 2.20) out of 13. Medical students demonstrated higher dementia knowledge scores and showed less positive attitude scores than nursing students (p < 0.05). Students would not apply a person-centred care approach. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean scores of ADCQ between nursing students and medical students.
Study results highlight the urgent need to implement an inter-disciplinary approach to increasing dementia education among Chinese medical and nursing students, and ensuring that students have adequate knowledge, attitudes and experience in the care of people with dementia.
痴呆症护理需要从正规的卫生专业教育开始进行跨学科协作。然而，对于中国本科医学和护理专业学生如何看待痴呆症护理，我们知之甚少。本研究的目的是调查中国本科医学和护理专业学生的痴呆症知识、态度和护理方法。
进行了一项横断面调查。从中国东部、西部、南部和北部四个设有校区的大学中，招募了参加5年制医学学士学位课程和4年制护理学士学位课程的学生参与本研究。使用三种经过验证的工具，即阿尔茨海默病知识量表（ADKS）、痴呆症护理态度量表（DCAS）和晚期痴呆症护理方法问卷（ADCQ），来检验学生的痴呆症知识、态度和感知护理方法。通过自行填写调查问卷收集数据。
完成调查的医学和护理专业学生人数分别为526人和467人。学生对痴呆症的总体知识水平较差，但态度普遍积极。ADKS检验的学生痴呆症知识总体平均得分为30分中的19.49分（标准差=2.82），学生对痴呆症的态度得分为40分中的29.92分（标准差=3.35），学生对痴呆症的以人为主的护理方法得分为13分中的5.42分（标准差=2.20）。医学专业学生的痴呆症知识得分较高，但态度得分不如护理专业学生积极（p<0.05）。学生不会采用以人为主的护理方法。护理专业学生和医学专业学生的ADCQ平均得分没有统计学上的显著差异。
研究结果凸显了迫切需要采取跨学科方法，以增加中国医学和护理专业学生的痴呆症教育，并确保学生在照顾痴呆症患者方面具备足够的知识、态度和经验。
