{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T11:46:54Z","timestamp":1775648814495,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775606400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nursing Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Dementia is one of the most common diseases of the elderly worldwide. Sharing experiences of caring for patients with dementia with other carers is essential to improve the quality of care, promote better outcomes, and learn from others. Aim: to explore nurses\u2019 experiences of working with patients with dementia in Lithuanian supportive treatment and nursing hospitals. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed in this study, with data collected through semi-structured interviews. Nurses with direct experience caring for patients with dementia in supportive treatment and nursing hospitals were recruited through purposive sampling. This sampling strategy was chosen to ensure that participants could provide rich, contextual, and experience-based insights into the phenomenon under investigation. Open-ended questions were divided into three themes: 1. Identifying nursing needs. 2. Care for people with dementia. 3. Patient behavior management and situation management. To ensure methodological rigor and transparency, the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) were applied throughout the study\u2019s planning, data collection, and analysis processes. Results: Nine nurses working in three different Lithuanian hospitals participated in the study. Theme 1: respondents reported that the needs of patients with dementia depend on their previous lifestyle and hobbies, as well as on essential physiological needs such as eating and drinking, bathing and personal hygiene, and the absence of pain. Theme 2: All participants emphasized that ensuring a safe environment is crucial for people with dementia. Theme 3: When faced with inappropriate patient behaviour, nurses attempt to calm the patient, speak gently, provide distraction, or, when necessary, temporarily separate the patient from others. Additional actions include administering medication and stabilizing the patient. Overall, these findings illustrate that dementia care requires continuous emotional presence, situational judgment, and adaptation to each patient\u2019s individual needs. Conclusions: Patients with dementia require highly individualized care focused on nutrition, hygiene, pain control, and communication. Nurses\u2019 daily activities centered on essential bodily care, medication management, and mobility support to maintain safety and prevent complications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep16040124","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T09:49:44Z","timestamp":1775641784000},"page":"124","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Nurses\u2019 Experiences of Caring for Patients with Dementia in Supportive Treatment and Nursing Hospitals in Lithuania: A Qualitative Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9758-9090","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agn\u0117","family":"Jakavonyt\u0117-Akstinien\u0117","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Midwifery and Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of Vilnius University, M. K. \u010ciurlionio St. 21, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karolina","family":"Adomavi\u010di\u016bt\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Midwifery and Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of Vilnius University, M. K. \u010ciurlionio St. 21, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Alzheimer\u2019s Disease International (2026, February 01). Dementia Statistics. Available online: https:\/\/www.alzint.org\/about\/dementia-facts-figures\/dementia-statistics\/."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"WHO (2017). Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia 2017\u20132025, World Health Organization. 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