Multifaceted Strategies Improved Nursing Staff's Uptake of an Evidence-Based Music Protocol for Elders with Alzheimer's Disease

Tuesday, 8 July 2008: 3:35 PM
Huei-Chuan Sung, PhD, MSN, RN , Department of Nursing, Tzu Chi College of Technology, Hualien, Taiwan
Anne M. Chang, RN, DipNEd, BEdSt, (Hons), MEdSt, PhD , Nursing Research Centre (inc. Queensland Centre for Evidence Based Nursing and Midwifery), Mater Health Services, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Wen-Li Lee, MSc , Department of Radiological Technology, Tzu Chi College of Technology, Hualien, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: know the effects of multifaceted implementation strategies on nursing staff's uptake of an evidence-based music protocol.

Learning Objective 2: utilize an evidence-based music protocol for elders and the multifaceted strategies to improve uptake of evidence-based practice.

The major barriers to evidence-based practice identified by nursing staff are lack of knowledge and skills on implementing evidence-based practice. Some evidence supports the effectiveness of multifaceted implementation strategies in facilitating practice change among health care professionals but these strategies have not been widely tested for promoting nursing staff's practice change. Limited information is available about the best way to facilitate nursing home staff's uptake of evidence-based care. This study used a quasi-experimental pre and post-test design and aimed to evaluate the effects of the multifaceted strategies on nursing staff's knowledge of and adherence to an evidence-based music protocol for elders with Alzheimer's disease in a nursing home. Sixteen nursing staff in one building complex of a nursing home as the experimental group received multifaceted strategies to facilitate their adoption of the evidence-based music protocol. The strategies consisted of interactive educational sessions, distribution of educational materials, local consensus, use of reminders, a local opinion leader, and audit and feedback. Fourteen staff in another building complex as the control group received no strategies to facilitate their practice. Nursing staff's knowledge of the music protocol were assessed by the music knowledge questionnaire, and their adherence to the protocol was assessed by an audit checklist at baseline and week six. The study results indicated that there was a significant improvement of knowledge (Z=-3.96, p<.001) and adherence (Z=-4.81, p<.001) of the music protocol in the experimental group compared to those of the control group. Multifaceted strategies can improve nursing home staff's uptake of an evidence-based music protocol for elders with Alzheimer's disease. The improvement of knowledge of and adherence to the music protocol among the nursing staff who received the multifaceted strategies will enable them to implement the evidence-based music protocol for managing behavioural problems of elders with Alzheimer's disease in nursing homes.