AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study explored nursing home staff's barriers and needs in implementing person-centred care for people with dementia. BACKGROUND: Person-centred care is an imperative international policy and the best-practice standard for dementia care. However, a gap exists between policy and practice. Moreover, there is a lack of qualitative studies that explored nursing home staff's barriers and needs in implementing person-centred care for people living with dementia. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted. METHODS: Using convenience sampling method, a total of 24 staff members (nurses, nurse's aides, or care workers) were recruited from six nursing homes in Korea. Two in-depth, face-to-face, one-to-one interviews were conducted with all participants (a total of 48 interviews). A semi-structured interview guide was used and field notes were written after each interview. Data were collected until data saturation was reached. Qualitative content analysis was used. This study followed the COREQ guidelines. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from data analysis: insufficient resources, lack of education, negative mindset and poor relationships. This study showed that nursing home staff experienced many barriers and unmet needs in implementing person-centred care for people with dementia. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that nursing home staff faced many barriers and needs in implementing person-centred care for people with dementia. Nursing home staff need more legitimate, financial, educational and emotional support. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The study indicates more national and organisational support are needed for nursing home staff to successfully implement person-centred care for people living with dementia. Nursing home leaders need to recognise the importance of their role in overcoming the barriers and provide effective support for staff in implementing person-centred dementia care.