Dementia Care Content in Prelicensure Nursing Curricula: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Study

Background: Having a nursing workforce equipped to provide quality care for patients living with dementia is essential. The purpose of this study was to investigate how undergraduate nursing programs integration of dementia care content into their curricula. Method: Using sequential explanatory mixed methods, a stratified sample of 137 representatives of programs in 11 states with dense elderly populations completed a quantitative survey. A subsample (n = 8) completed qualitative e-mail interviews. Results: Most respondents indicated dementia care content was integrated into their curricula (n = 103, 92.8%). Clinical partnership with dementia care centers was associated with a greater proportion of students interacting with individuals having dementia (p = .02). Curriculum overload was the most significant challenge to integrating dementia content (n = 61, 43.9%). Qualitative themes supported the quantitative results. Conclusion: Future research is needed to identify best practices to ensure that nursing curricula provide essential content to meet the care needs of the growing population of individuals with dementia.