Cover Image
QR Code

Adult Day Centers as Partners in Baccalaureate Nursing Dementia Education.

This pilot study explored how adult day centers can serve as transformative clinical learning environments for nursing students to learn dementia care. Fourteen students in an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program participated in two clinical experiences at community-based memory care c...

Full description

Published in:Creative Nursing Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 246 - 252
Main Author: DeBrew, Jacqueline Kayler
Format: research Journal Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. May2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=193525740&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 193525740
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        10784535
        CVN
      jtl: Creative Nursing
      issn: 10784535
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: May2026
      vid: 32
      iid: 2
      pid: 344
      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
      place: Thousand Oaks, California
    artinfo:
      ui:
        193525740
        192719741
        193525740
        193525740
        10.1177/10784535261439175
        193525740
      ppf: 246
      ppct: 6
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Adult Day Centers as Partners in Baccalaureate Nursing Dementia Education.
      aug:
        au: DeBrew, Jacqueline Kayler
        affil: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Nursing and Instructional Building, Greensboro, NC, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Day Care
          Dementia Nursing
          Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate
          Teaching Methods
          Dementia Education
          Students, Nursing, Baccalaureate
          Patient Centered Care Education
          Experiential Learning Methods
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Pilot Studies
          Qualitative Studies
          Learning Theory
          Trust
          Content Analysis
          Patient Care Education
          Student Attitudes
          Student Experiences
          Clinical Competence
          Empathy
          Nursing Skills
          Communication Skills
          Professional Development
          Reflection
          Interprofessional Relations
          Curriculum Development
          Conceptual Framework
          Thematic Analysis
          Positive Psychology
          Caregivers
          Memory
          Cognition
          Male
          Female
      ab: This pilot study explored how adult day centers can serve as transformative clinical learning environments for nursing students to learn dementia care. Fourteen students in an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program participated in two clinical experiences at community-based memory care centers and then submitted reflective journals. Guided by Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory, analysis revealed that students reported finding the experiences meaningful, challenging their prior assumptions about dementia, and enhancing their empathy for both individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Themes identified were Positivity, Appreciation for Caregivers, Communication Skill Development, and Understanding the Stages of Dementia. By observing the lived experience of people with dementia in a relaxed, community setting, student feedback challenged the prevailing clinical norms that privilege acute care and simulation. The findings suggest that adult day centers can be powerful sites for deep learning in nursing education.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N