Nursing students´ conceptions of dementia: A phenomenographic study

Although dementia has become an ongoing public health priority, lack of awareness and understanding regarding dementia may bring about poor health outcomes. Nursing students will be encountering people with dementia more than ever before in most practice settings, therefore, this phenomenographic study aims to explore nursing students’ conceptions of dementia. This study was set in three Spanish Nursing Schools. Eligible participants were second-year students in the 2021-22 academic year (n=309). Written pretests and posttests were used to collect data, which the researchers analyzed using a phenomenographic method. Nursing students conceptualized dementia and its symptoms hierarchically and distinctively. Four categories were identified within the concept of dementia, namely “Students understand dementia comprehensively”, “Students arguments on dementia are limited in scope”, “Students hold alternative conceptions around dementia” and “Students fail to address the question”. Three further categories emerged for dementia symptoms: “Students recognize that dementia involves both cognitive and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia”, “Students believe that dementia comprises only cognitive symptoms” and “Students explain dementia symptoms incorrectly”. Consistent use of the nomenclature and the relevance of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia were found to be problematic learning areas for participants. The implications of these findings include identifying areas of difficulty that might hinder deeper learning. These results can inform the design of more effective nursing curricula in higher education, ultimately improving health outcomes related to dementia.