Abstract
Background: Multiple deficits have been identified in dementia education by UK policy makers and, from September 2015, the Department of Health mandated that undergraduate healthcare curricula included dementia. Here I explore one particular novel approach, the Time for Dementia Programme, which had at its core longitudinal learning from people with dementia and their carers. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of visits to the homes of people with dementia and their carers as part of the Time for Dementia Programme. To do this it explored adult nursing students’ perceptions of their professional learning and practice and career destination. Design: This is a constructivist grounded theory qualitative study with data generated yearly over three years with the same 12 undergraduate adult nursing students. Data collection included: interviews (n=28), one focus group with 5 different participants in phase 2, reflective journals, and memoing. Literature was also recognised as a source of data. Ethical Considerations: The study was reviewed and granted a favourable ethical opinion by the University Ethics Committee of the University of Surrey, UK. Findings: What emerged from the data was the theory of Whole Sight, which resulted from participants’ New Ways of Seeing dementia. Findings suggested that as a result of their visits, participants reframed their perceptions of dementia, as attention was given to broadening their view of dementia, to encompass the person’s lives and relationships. Participants shared many examples of action, demonstrating the impact on their practice, as they questioned and changed their own approaches to care. Findings also highlighted that experiences of visits may have made participants more likely to consider working in the community. Conclusion and Recommendations: Results indicate that visits created a positive dementia discourse that led to changes in practice. It offers new insights in developing dementia education that focuses on interconnectedness and caring relationships, promoting a Whole Sight focus on the person rather than on their dementia. Although experiences of visits may have made participants more likely to consider working in the community in the future, further research would be needed to explore this. Findings suggest that participants realised that they can be active in their contribution to care, make change, and serve as change agents in dementia care; this may well also be relevant to other health professions.