Best-practice recommendations to inform general practice nurses in the provision of dementia care: a Delphi study
Caroline Gibson A B * , Dianne Goeman A C , Mark Yates B D and Dimity Pond
A
A Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
B Grampians Health, Ballarat, Vic. 3350, Australia.
C Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
D Deakin University School of Medicine, Ballarat Clinical School, Ballarat, Vic. 3350, Australia.
Australian Journal of Primary Health - https://doi.org/10.1071/PY22276
Submitted: 26 July 2022 Accepted: 27 May 2023 Published online: 22 June 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Background: Worldwide, responsibility for dementia diagnosis and management is shifting to primary care, in particular to the general practitioner (GP). It has been acknowledged that primary care nurses, working collaboratively with GPs, have a role in dementia care by utilising their unique knowledge and skills. However, there are no best-practice guidelines or care pathways to inform nurses in general practice on what best-practice dementia care comprises and how to implement this into their practice. This study identified the recommendations in the Australian guidelines for dementia management most relevant to the role of the nurse working in general practice.
Methods: Seventeen experts active in clinical practice and/or research in primary care nursing in general practice participated in an online three-round Delphi study.
Results: All 17 participants were female with a nursing qualification and experienced in general practice clinical nursing and/or general practice nursing research. Five recommendations were identified as the most relevant to the role of the nurse in general practice. These recommendations all contained elements of person-centred care: the delivery of individualised information, ongoing support, including the carer in decision-making, and they also align with the areas where GPs want support in dementia care provision.
Conclusion: This novel study identified best-practice dementia care recommendations specific to nurses in general practice. These recommendations will inform a model of care for nurses in the provision of dementia care that supports GPs and better meets the needs of people living with dementia and their carer(s).
Keywords: health services: aged, nursing: assessment, nursing: process, patient care: management, patient-centred care, primary health care.
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