'What are nurses' and healthcare workers' cultural understandings of dementia?' An integrative literature review.

Abstract

Aim: to explore the range of cultural understandings of dementia held by people providing nursing care globally.Background: There is a worldwide shortage of nurses and healthcare workers, resulting in extensive global mobility among the workforce. Cultural competence is expected of nurses who serve diverse populations and although self-awareness is recognised as crucial in developing this ability, the focus has tended to be on the identity of the patient and adjusting care according to their specific needs. However, taken-for-granted assumptions drive unconscious judgements and therefore behaviour so nurses' dementia-related understandings are worthy of exploration.Design: An integrative literature review, comprising five stages: problem identification; literature search; data evaluation; data analysis; and presentation of the findings.Methods: Six databases were searched for original research published between 1997 and 2023. Studies which focus on qualified/registered and unqualified/unregistered healthcare workers' cultural understandings of dementia were included. Studies were evaluated using a tool designed for the critical assessment of qualitative research. Data was extracted using a bespoke spreadsheet. Conventional content analysis was undertaken to develop a synthesised summary of the findings of the studies.Findings: 11 papers met the inclusion criteria. Content analysis led to identification of two main themes: 'Stigma as a common factor in cultural perceptions of dementia', and 'Stigma derived from cultural perceptions has consequences for people living with dementia'.Conclusion: An international perspective facilitated insight into alternative perceptions of the nature of dementia and care responses. A version of the 'Relationship Centred Care' model, expanded to include the wider community, could support theoretical and practical recommendations for culturally congruent approaches to care. Further research is required to examine the usefulness of incorporating this approach internationally.Reporting Method: The authors followed the ENTREQ reporting guidelines (Tong et al., 2012).