Development of a scale to evaluate nurses' recovery orientation in the dementia care

Accessible Summary What is known on the subject? Much research has been conducted on the relationship between recovery orientation and people diagnosed with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and mood disorders. A recovery‐oriented approach by mental health professionals can reduce hospital stays and medical costs for people diagnosed with mental illness. There are similarities and differences between recovery‐oriented approaches for individuals diagnosed with dementia and those diagnosed with mental illness. This reflects the characteristics of irreversible dementia. Although dementia courses at recovery colleges are increasing, dementia recovery is in its infancy and course content varies. The core of the recovery framework for individuals diagnosed with dementia is ‘Continue to be me’. Recovery‐oriented approaches and programmes have been developed by mental health workers for older adults, including those with dementia, but there are no outcome measures that reflect the characteristics of dementia care. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? We developed a scale to assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care, which has been found to be reliable, and although some validity issues remain, it is the first scale to objectively assess recovery orientation in dementia care. The emphasis is on helping people diagnosed with dementia maintain their identity, which is not adequately covered by existing measures of recovery. What are the implications for practice? The ability to objectively assess recovery orientation in dementia care allows us to identify areas of inadequacy. It can be used to reduce variation in the content of recovery college courses and as an indicator for evaluating training in recovery‐oriented approaches to dementia care. Abstract Introduction Programmes regarding recovery‐oriented approaches for older people, including those with dementia, have been developed, but there are no clear indicators, and the process is still in its infancy. Purpose We developed a scale to assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care. Methods A draft of a 28‐item scale was developed based on interviews with 10 nurses, skilled in dementia care with a Japanese mental health perspective, and a literature review. A self‐administered questionnaire was developed for nurses working in a dementia ward, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test for convergent and discriminant validity. The Recovery Attitude Questionnaire was used to examine criterion‐related validity. Results An exploratory factor analysis produced a 19‐item scale and identified five factors (KMO value: 0.854). The Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale was .856, with each subfactor showing a range of .742–.792, validating its reliability. Discussion The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the five‐factor construct. Reliability was verified, but some issues remained in convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for Practice This scale can be used to objectively assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care and as a measure of training in recovery‐oriented approaches.