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Why you should read this article: • To understand the complexity of the needs of people with delirium superimposed on dementia • To enhance your knowledge of second-generation activity theory • To recognise the consequences of the separation of physical health and mental healthcare. Background: Delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) affects the physical, mental and cognitive well-being of the person. The separation of physical health and mental health means that the care of people with DSD is at odds with the multifaceted aetiology and presentation of the condition. There is a lack of research on DSD from a mental health perspective. Aim: To explore UK mental health nurses’ experiences of providing care for people with DSD. Method: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mental health nurses from one NHS trust in England. Participants’ experiences were considered through the lens of second-generation activity theory. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Findings: Six themes were identified: awareness of guidance and tools; guidance or tools as ‘paper exercises’; knowing the patient; the multidisciplinary team; care burden; and mental health versus physical health. Conclusion: When providing care for people with DSD, mental health nurses use their skills in knowing patients as individuals. However, this aspect of ‘knowing’ cannot be readily translated into the use of a numerical scoring tool. An integrated approach is required to support the care of people with DSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the UK, people with delirium superimposed on dementia may be cared for by mental health nurses, however there is little in the literature about the experience of caring for people with the condition from the perspective of mental health nurses., Aim: To illuminate the experiences of mental health nurses caring for people with delirium superimposed on dementia and to explore how mental health nurses 'know' the people they care for using 'aesthetic ways of knowing'., Method: A mixed-methods design was used guided by the principles of activity theory. Participants were registered mental health nurses with experience of caring for people with delirium superimposed on dementia within a 24-hour care environment, including an NHS mental health foundation trust and care homes. Data were collected in two ways and at two different time points: first via semi-structured interviews (n=7), second via a questionnaire (n=25). Thematic analysis of the qualitative data was paired with simple descriptive statistics of the quantitative data to describe participants' experience., Findings: This article discusses one finding from the larger study, which was undertaken as part of the author's PhD, in relation to the way in which mental health nurses 'know' the people they care for. Overall, participants showed a preference for aesthetic ways of knowing, rather than the use of formal assessment tools or scores. Participants experienced caring for people with delirium superimposed on dementia by valuing the person and concentrating on their behaviours, responses and personality, thus enabling them to anticipate and/or recognise potential triggers, precipitating factors and any changes in behaviours., Conclusion: The ways in which mental health nurses know the people they care for influences their care delivery. Mental health nurses' use of aesthetic ways of knowing should be recognised and valued as a way of better understanding and supporting the person with delirium superimposed on dementia., Competing Interests: None declared, (© 2023 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)