The current situation and influencing factors of nurses’ sense of competence in dementia care in primary medical institutions: a cross-sectional study

Dementia has become an escalating problem in China, where people with dementia have high rates of hospital admissions and long lengths of stay. Primary medical institutions play a vital role in providing healthcare for people with dementia. Therefore, nurses’ sense of competence in these settings is critical to ensuring high-quality care. This study aims to assess the current situation of nurses’ sense of competence in dementia care in primary medical institutions and to analyze the relevant influencing factors. This cross-sectional study obtained data using a socio-demographic questionnaire along with the Chinese versions of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale and the Sense of Competence in Dementia Care Staff Scale. The total SCIDS-C score was used as the dependent variable to assess the nurses’ sense of competence in dementia care. One-way ANOVA was conducted for univariate analysis. The statistically significant variables were included in the multiple linear regression model to analyze the influencing factors. 359 nurses in primary medical institutions completed the survey. Of all the nurses, 96.4% were female, 49.6% were aged 20–30 years, 53.8% were working in a township hospital, 34.0% held the title of nurse practitioner, 44.6% had worked for more than 10 years and 73% had no caregiving experience for people with dementia or related disorders. The mean SCIDS-C score among nurses in primary medical institutions was 43.93 out of 68. Degree of attention paid to dementia, degree of confidence in caring for people with dementia, caregiving experience for people with dementia or related disorders, ability to care for people with dementia and attended education and/or training in care of the person with dementia or related disorders, were significantly associated with the nurses’ sense of competence (p < 0.05). The final model explained 20% of score variance (R² = 0.20). This study found there is room for improvement in their sense of competence in dementia care and is influenced by multiple factors. To improve nurses’ sense of competence in dementia care and provision of better care for dementia people, primary medical institutions should invest in dementia training of nurses, and nurses should make efforts to enhance their dementia care knowledge and skills.