Getting Connected: Experiential Dementia Skills Training.

Purpose: Getting Connected: Experiential Dementia Skills Training, based on the Positive Approach to Care^® model, was implemented to bridge the gap between knowledge and skills to determine whether nursing students feel more comfortable and prepared to care for persons living with dementia (PLWD).

Method: The study examined the impact of experiential dementia skills training on nursing students' knowledge, comfort, and confidence when interacting with PLWD. The training was conducted at a 4-year pre-licensure, Bachelor of Science Nursing program in rural Southeast United States, where 62 sophomore students completed a 6-hour dementia skills training. Participation in the study was voluntary. Students were given pre-and posttests, with the dementia skills training serving as the intervention. Thirty-two students completed pre- and posttests, measuring knowledge, comfort, and confidence.

Results: Findings showed the training enhanced students' knowledge of dementia and communication approaches; however, they did not feel more confident or comfortable interacting with PLWD immediately following the training.

Conclusion: The Getting Connected: Experiential Dementia Skills Training using the Positive Approach to Care^® model can be a useful approach for teaching nursing students about the lived experience of dementia and beneficial in helping them acquire knowledge and communication strategies for caring for PLWD. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, xx(x), xx-xx.].