Nurse Empathy and the Care of People with Dementia

Although there is widespread acknowledgment that nurses require empathy to deliver quality care, the complexity of caring for people with dementia in hospital creates further challenges for both nurses and patients. This recent paper in the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing details the relevant influences on the ability of nurses to care empathetically for people with dementia in hospital. Appropriate nurse-patient ratios which consider the additional workload attached to caring for people with dementia, clinical supervision and targeted nurse education must be considered to ensure health systems deliver appropriate person-centred care to people with dementia.

Digby, R., Lee, S. & Williams. (2016). Nurse empathy and the care of people with dementia. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(1)