Influence of Self-Compassion, Burden of BPSD, Communication Behavior, and Nursing Work Environment on Person-Centered Care for Patients with Dementia Among Long-Term Care Hospital Nurses.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing person-centered care (PCC) among nurses working at long-term care hospitals for patients with dementia and to propose strategies for strengthening their capacity to provide PCC. Methods: Guided by the ecological model, this descriptive study examined the effects of personal factors (self-compassion and the burden of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia [BPSD]), interpersonal factors (communication behavior), and organizational factors (nursing work environment) on PCC. Participants were 152 nurses who had worked for more than two months at four long-term care hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Data were collected between 8 January and 4 February 2024, and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the strongest predictors of PCC were the nursing work environment (β = 0.36, p < 0.001), having received dementia-related education twice (β = 0.26, p = 0.008), self-compassion (β = 0.23, p = 0.017), having received dementia-related education three or more times (β = 0.22, p = 0.036), and communication behavior (β = 0.20, p = 0.026). The final model (Model 3) explained 41.5% of the variance in PCC (adjusted R2 = 0.415, F = 5.70, p < 0.001). Conclusions: To strengthen PCC among nurses in long-term care hospitals, comprehensive efforts to improve the nursing work environment are essential. Institutional support should particularly focus on securing sufficient nursing staff and ensuring adequate material resources. In addition, continuous dementia-related education and training programs that foster self-compassion and communication skills among nurses are recommended.