Dementia Care Education and Student Empathy
Summary
The convergence of demographic trends and evolving educational methods has elevated dementia care training as a critical component of health professional curricula. Central to this endeavour is the development of empathy in students, which underpins person-centred care and supports the dignity of people living with dementia. Modern programmes blend theoretical instruction with experiential activities—ranging from narrative-based workshops and reflective practice to immersive simulations and longitudinal community placements. Many curricula incorporate co-production with individuals who have lived experience of dementia, fostering authentic insights and reshaping attitudes. These interventions have been associated with increases in knowledge, communication skills and confidence when encountering responsive behaviours. At the same time, variations in programme length, evaluation strategies and follow-up assessments highlight the need for standardised frameworks and longer-term outcome studies. Globally, this body of work informs workforce development strategies, emphasising adaptable learning approaches and ethical engagement in dementia care.
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Dementia Care Education and Student Empathy publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dementia care education and student empathy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Person-centred care: An approach that prioritises the individual’s preferences, values and needs in planning and delivering healthcare.
Narrative-based learning: An educational strategy that uses personal stories and lived experiences to foster understanding and empathy.
Immersive virtual reality: A computer-generated environment that fully surrounds users, enabling interactive first-person experiences for training purposes.
References
- A realist synthesis of dementia education programmes for pre-registration nurses. Nurse Education Today (2024).
- Facilitators, barriers, and impacts to implementing dementia care training for staff in long-term care settings by using fully immersive virtual reality: a scoping review. Frontiers in Virtual Reality (2025).
- Translating ‘dementia friends’ programme to undergraduate medical and nursing practice: a qualitative exploration. BMC Medical Education (2023).
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