Setting matters: Associations of nurses’ attitudes towards people with dementia

AIM: Identify associations between attitudes of nurses towards people with dementia and their socio‐demographic (age and gender) and work‐related characteristics (employment, work experience, nursing degree, care setting). DESIGN: The study was designed in a cross‐sectional way, collecting self‐reported questionnaire data. METHODS: Nurses (N = 417) completed the 20‐item Dementia Attitude Scale questionnaire, including socio‐demographic and work characteristics. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, group mean comparison, correlation and regression analysis. RESULTS: The attitudes of nurses towards people with dementia were only related to the care setting. Attitudes of nurses working in dementia‐specialized long‐term care institutions were significantly more positive compared with those working in mixed long‐term care institutions and in the homecare setting. The other variables, such as age, gender, employment, nursing degree and work experience, were not associated with the attitudes.