ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe Korean nursing home nurses' perceptions on dysphagia management and their working experiences of older adults with dysphagia. METHODS: Using a purposive sampling design, 23 eligible nurses were interviewed as four focus groups from 4 facilities out of nursing homes. The qualitative data from focus group interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to classify common themes into larger categories. RESULTS: Two main themes on the attributes of caring nursing home residents with dysphagia were 'Need for nursing resources' and 'Need for support'. In addition, four subthemes emerged as a result of analysis: 'need for nursing protocols for assessing and managing dysphagia', 'need for emergency care skills of nurses and nurse assistants', 'need for prompt and accurate management by cooperation of physicians and therapists', and 'need for partnership upon comprehension of visiting family members concerning dysphagia'. CONCLUSION: Nursing home nurses fully recognized the importance of dysphagia management; however, they experienced substantial barriers due to lack of adequate nursing protocols or partnership with family caregivers, insufficient training for emergency care, and deficient support from medical staff. Development of nursing guidelines tailored to the nursing home context and based on partnership among medical experts and family caregivers is needed.
