Exploring the effect of professional experience on knowledge towards geriatric care among nurses working in adult care units

Enhancing comprehensive geriatric nursing competence: Insights into training status, demands, and willingness among clinical nurses-A multi-center study in China

This study aims to evaluate geriatric nursing competence (GNC), training status, demands and willingness of clinical nurses, and to identify the key factors that influence GNC. A cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted, including 1024 clinical nurses. Results indicated an overall lower-to-moderate level of GNC, coupled with a low training rate (43.53 %) and a high demand for further training (87.44 %), 67.5 % of nurses expressed willingness to participate in geriatric nursing training, and 35.6 % were willing to engage in geriatric nursing practice. Multiple linear regression analysis identified several independent factors influencing GNC, including training status, willingness to participate in geriatric nursing training and engage in geriatric nursing practice, years of experience in geriatric nursing practice, nursing job satisfaction, and department (i.e., Geriatrics, Internal Medicine, and Surgery). The study underscores the complex interplay of factors shaping GNC among clinical nurses, highlighting significant areas for targeted improvements in geriatric care training.

To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and confidence of caregivers and administrators towards the oral health of nursing home residents in San Antonio, Texas

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this research was to use qualitative methods to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and confidence of caregivers in their ability to provide oral hygiene assistance to residents. The secondary objective was to assess the knowledge and attitude of administrators on the provision of oral hygiene assistance for residents, and their confidence in caregivers' ability to provide oral hygiene assistance to nursing home residents in San Antonio, Texas.

METHODS

A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct face-to-face interviews with seven caregivers and twelve administrative staff from ten nursing homes in San Antonio, Texas. Employees in nursing homes who are caring for residents are referred to as caregivers and those whom they care for are referred to as nursing home residents. One survey instrument was developed for the caregiver's knowledge, attitude, and confidence toward providing oral health care, and another to assess the administrator's knowledge, attitude, and confidence in caregivers providing oral care for nursing home residents. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for thematic content.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that caregivers and administrators had adequate knowledge of the connection between oral and systemic health. The administrators were confident that caregivers were adequately trained to provide oral hygiene care for residents. Caregivers had a positive attitude toward the importance of good oral health. They regularly assessed the residents' oral health, but due to time constraints, staffing shortages, and other competing tasks providing oral health care to the residents was challenging. Most caregivers were confident in their skills in providing oral care for the residents since 85.6% agreed. On the contrary, almost half of the administrators were confident that caregivers have the necessary skills to provide oral care for residents, while 41.7% were unsure.

CONCLUSIONS

The study gave a broader insight into the provision of oral care in nursing home residents from the perspectives of caregivers and administrative staff. Administrators must provide caregivers with adequate training and time so they can provide adequate oral health care for the residents.

Knowledge and attitude toward geriatric nursing care and associated factors among nurses working at hospitals in Hawassa City, Ethiopia, 2022

Background

Globally, the fastest growth in the number of older people combined with chronic and age-related medical conditions experienced by the older adult placed great demand on geriatric care. Thus, nurses are required to be knowledgeable and have a desirable attitude toward geriatric nursing care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude toward geriatric nursing care and associated factors among nurses working at hospitals in Hawassa City, Ethiopia.

Methods

Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 30 to July 30, 2022, among 365 nurses. The hospitals and study participants were selected by using purposive and simple random sampling methods, respectively. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were computed to generate descriptive results. Binary and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify predictors at p-value <0.05.

Results

About 39.2% of nurses had good knowledge and 49.3% of the nurses showed a positive attitude toward geriatric nursing care. Nurses with BSc degree or above [AOR 2.5, 95% CI, (1.2-5.6)], having lived with older people [AOR 2.2, 95% CI, (1.4-3.6)], nurses with 6-10 years [AOR, 2.8, 95% CI, (1.4-5.57)] and >10 years of work experience [AOR 4.2, 95% CI, (1.6-10.8)] were more likely to have knowledge about geriatric nursing care. Having BSc degree or above [AOR 2.7, 95% C.I, (1.2-6)], 6-10 years [AOR 3, 95% CI, (1.48-6.3)], and >10 years [AOR 3.9, 95% CI, (1.4-10.99)] of work experience, living experience with older people [AOR 1.7, 95% C.I:1.05-2.7], knowledge about geriatric care [AOR 3, 95% CI,(1.85-4.92)], and having worked at adequate space [AOR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.009-2.8] increased odds of good attitude toward geriatric nursing care.

Conclusion

Less than half of nurses demonstrated good knowledge and positive attitude toward geriatric nursing care. Higher level of education, higher work experience, living with older people were significantly associated with knowledge and attitude toward geriatric nursing care. Additionally, working in an adequate space and having knowledge about geriatric care positively influenced attitude toward geriatric nursing care. Therefore, nursing schools and hospitals should conduct training and consider incorporating more content about geriatric care into nursing education to enhance nurses' knowledge and attitude.

Knowledge, attitude and practices about pharmacovigilance activities among hospital nurses: a multicentre cross-sectional survey

Background

The national pharmacovigilance (PV) system has been established in many countries worldwide following the thalidomide tragedy. Nurses have an important role in recognising and reporting any Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR); however, their role has not been widely explored, particularly in Southeast Asian countries.

Aims

To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) about PV activities, along with barriers and facilitators that affect ADR reporting among hospital nurses in Malaysia. The present study also explores the relationship between demographic characteristics and predictors of KAP among hospital nurses in Malaysia.

Methods

A multicentre, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in March-May 2021, among nurses working at tertiary care hospitals in Malaysia.

Results

The mean KAP score of study participants was 57 ± 11. Overall participants had poor ADR knowledge (37.4%), and poor reporting practices (48.9%). Age >30 years (AOR = 2.7 (1.13-6.8), p = 0.02), and working experience of greater than 10 years (AOR = 2.44 (1.08-5.52), p = 0.03), were significantly associated with good ADR knowledge and reporting practices among study participants.

Conclusions

In summary, study findings offer valuable insight for developing targeted interventions and formal training to improve nurses' ADR knowledge and reporting practices. Addressing gaps in these areas can enhance patient safety and overall healthcare quality.

Knowledge and Attitude Towards the Elderly Among Doctors and Medical Students: A Questionnaire-Based Study

INTRODUCTION

 There is a continuous rise in the total number and percentage of elders globally, and as such, they are expected to utilize healthcare services more often. Therefore, this study aimed to determine doctors' and students' current knowledge and attitudes toward elders and compare those findings with other studies worldwide. The specific objectives of this study were to determine and compare the differences in attitudes between medical students and doctors regarding geriatrics. This comparison will focus on the following four key domains: social values, resource distribution, compassion, and medical care. Another objective was to assess the knowledge of medical students and doctors regarding geriatric topics. This assessment will help determine the necessity for interventions such as educational programs and workshops on geriatrics.

METHODS

This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted by disseminating a Google Forms survey to medical students and doctors. The survey included the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Geriatrics Attitudes Scale and the UCLA Geriatrics Knowledge Test. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 29.0.2.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.).

RESULTS

 A total number of 126 medical students and 72 doctors filled out the survey. Both medical students and doctors demonstrated moderate scores on the attitudes scale, with overall average scores of 2.92 out of 5 and 2.93 out of 5, respectively. As for knowledge, medical students achieved an average score of 41%, while doctors attained an average score of 43%.

CONCLUSION

 This study provides significant insights regarding the knowledge and attitudes of students and doctors and attitudes towards geriatrics. The moderate attitudes score and poor knowledge score across both groups indicate the need for medical educators in Oman to further emphasize and teach about geriatrics in medical curricula.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Graduating Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students Toward Geriatric Care at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, North West Ethiopia

Background

The education and training of health professions students in geriatric care is critical to their future clinical practice. However, the knowledge and attitude of health science students toward geriatric care are barely studied in Ethiopia.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of graduating medical, pharmacy, and nursing (MPN) students towards geriatric care at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, North West Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 301 graduating MPN students using stratified random sampling from June 30, 2022, to July 30, 2022. The data was collected by using previously validated self-administered structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were done. A statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05.

Results

The majority of graduating MPN students had either neutral (70.76%) or positive (16.28%) attitudes towards older people; however, a greater amount (88%) of them had poor knowledge of geriatric care. The knowledge of female students was significantly less favorable than the knowledge of male students (p-value < 0.001). The knowledge and attitudes of pharmacy and nursing students were significantly lower than medical students (p-value < 0.001). The attitude mean rank score of students aged ≤25 years was significantly lower than students aged >25 years (p-value < 0.001).

Conclusion

The majority of graduating MPN students had poor knowledge despite having either a neutral or positive attitude toward geriatric care. Female students had lower knowledge scores than male students. Similarly, pharmacy and nursing students had lower knowledge and attitude scores than medical students, and the attitude score of students aged ≤ 25 years was lower than students aged >25 years. Their respective departments should implement a strategy to improve the knowledge of MNP students.

Determinants of Nurses' Knowledge Toward the Elderly Care, Southwest, Ethiopia

Introduction

Elderly individuals are the segment of the population that needs special care. The quality of care provided for elderly individuals is highly determined by the knowledge of nurses in elderly care. Hence, there are limited studies conducted to determine the level of knowledge of nurses regarding elderly care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess determinant factors of nurses' knowledge of elderly care.

Methods

A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed from April 1 to 10, 2021, among 345 nurses. Respondents were selected by a simple random sampling technique. The data were collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science software version 25.0. A multivariable binary logistic regression was used to identify factors significantly associated with the knowledge of nurses about elderly care.

Result

The response rate of this study was 98.3%. More than half of the respondents were female (51.6%) and 38.3% were single in marital status. Being knowledgeable among nurses about elderly care was 51.9%. Ever living with the elderly (adjusted odd ratio [AOR]: 3.62; 95% CI: 1.661, 7.89) and taking geriatric care training (AOR: 5.209, 95% CI: 2.771, 9.79) were positively associated with the knowledge of nurses toward elderly care while work experience <5 years (AOR: 0.305; 95% CI: 0.134, 0,696), and work experience 5-10 years (AOR: 0.359; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.864) were negatively associated with the knowledge of nurses toward elderly care.

Conclusion

The knowledge of nurses about elderly care was moderate. Ever lived with the elderly, work experience, and taking geriatric care training contributed to nurses' knowledge about elderly care. Therefore, hospital administrators and the Ministry of Health should facilitate training, design, and implement standard guidelines on nursing practice for elderly care.

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Associated Factors Towards Care of Elderly Patients among Nurses

Background

Ethiopia's elderly care service is relatively young and little is known about the practices or readiness of nurses to provide care. Nurses need to have good knowledge, a positive attitude, and experience when it comes to caring for the elderly or patients who are chronically providing quality care. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards care for elderly patients and associated factors among nurses working in adult care units of public hospitals in Harar, 2021.

Methods

An institutional-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February 12 to July 10, 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 478 study participants. Data were collected by trained data collectors using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. From the pretest, Cronbach's alpha for all items was above 0.7 for all items. Data were entered into Epi Data v.4.6 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 26 for binary logistic regression analysis. A P-value of 0.05 was used to declare a significant association between variables.

Results

The study revealed that 311 (69%) had inadequate knowledge. Having a first degree and an unfavorable attitude towards nurses showed a statistically significant association with nurses' inadequate knowledge. A total of 275 (61.0%) nurses were found to have an unfavorable attitude and were significantly associated with having a diploma and first degree, learning in a private organization, 6 to 10 years of experience, lack of training, and inadequate knowledge of nurses. A total of 297 (65.9%) study units had inadequate practice towards the care of elderly patients. Nurses' practices showed a significant association with the type of hospital, work experience, and adherence to guidelines with a response rate of 94.4%.

Conclusion

The majority of nurses had inadequate knowledge, an unfavorable attitude, and inadequate practice towards the care of elderly patients. Having a first-degree and an unfavorable attitude with inadequate knowledge, lack of training and inadequate knowledge, unfavorable attitudes and less than 11 years of experience, working in non-academic hospitals, and unavailability of guidelines with inadequate practices were significantly associated.

Improving health and social care services for slum-dwelling older adults: Perspectives of health professionals

Background

Besides confronting the challenges of a growing older population, developing countries are dealing with limited resources and infrastructure, to ensure good health and social care services. One of these developing countries facing these challenges is Ghana. The healthcare system in Ghana currently does not have specialized geriatric services and is funded through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), private insurance companies and an out-of-pocket expenditure system. Social care services are important in improving Quality of Life (QoL) as it helps in building and strengthening relationships while also keeping slum-dwelling older adults active. There are various challenges with the health and social care of older adults in slums and practical ways to improve these have not been explored among the providers of this care.

Aims

This study, therefore, aimed to explore (1) the views of health professionals on older slum-dwelling adults' health and social care needs, access, and use, and (2) recommendations for improving access to health and social care services among slum-dwelling older adults.

Method

A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach was used among health professionals by conducting a focus group discussion (FGD) and interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from each participant.

Results

A total of 27 participants took part in the study. In the analysis of transcripts, 3 themes and 14 subthemes were conceptualized. Financial difficulties, queueing issues, distance to health facilities, health illiteracy and negative attitude of health professionals were identified as some barriers to the utilization of formal healthcare services. Social care services were described as non-existent, not structured, and having limited resources to cater for attendants. The health professionals also provided recommendations for improvement.

Conclusion

Health professionals in this study discussed barriers to access and use of health and social care services. Addressing these barriers is essential to improve the use of formal health and social care services and diminish health inequity among older adults.

Evaluation of Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes towards Older Adults and Associated Factors

Background:

Due to the increased risk of developing chronic diseases among older adults, their demand for health care has increased. Preparing nurses to care for the older adults is one of the most difficult challenges in nursing education.

Objective:

This study investigated nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards older adults and demographic and occupational features that affect them.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 412 participants from July to October 2020. Patients were selected using a random sampling method. Three questionnaires were used: a socio-demographic form, an Older Patient in Acute Care Survey, and a Knowledge about Older Patients-Quiz.

Results:

According to the Pearson correlation test, there is a statistically significant and positive correlation between knowledge and general opinion (P = 0.000), (r = 0.271) as well as between practice experiences and general opinion (P = 0.000), (r = 0.205) of nurses about older adult’s care. There was no statistically significant relationship between knowledge and practice experiences (P = 0.857), (r = -. 009).

Conclusion:

Having a better understanding of the needs of the older adults would improve the quality of care that nurses provide to them.

Factors affecting care of elderly patients among nursing staff at the Ho teaching hospital in Ghana: Implications for geriatric care policy in Ghana

Introduction

The population of the aged is increasing globally and in Ghana. In 2020, the population aged over 60 years in Ghana was 2,051,903 and this is expected to reach 2.5 million by 2025 and 6.3 million by 2050. Despite the envisaged increase in the number and life expectancy of the older population in Ghana that will require nursing care, there is a paucity of data on nursing staff knowledge and attitudes toward elderly patients in Ghana.

Objectives

This study, therefore, assessed factors affecting the care of elderly patients among nursing staff in a tertiary referral health facility in the Volta region of Ghana.

Methods

The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design using quantitative data collection approaches. A total of 150 nurses were sampled with a response rate of 95%. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The analysis included logistic regression to predict factors associated with nurses’ knowledge and attitude in caring for elderly patients, after multicollinearity diagnosis and controlling the effect of confounding variables.

Results

Majority (83.8%) of the nurses demonstrated good knowledge of the aging process, knowledge in the care of the elderly (88.7%), and (84.5%) had a positive caring attitude towards the elderly. Professional education, professional qualification, and knowledge on aged care were significantly associated with nurses’ attitude towards the elderly (p<0.001), (p<0.005), and (p<0.010), respectively. Lack of special wards/facilities emerged as the predominantly perceived barrier to caring for the elderly as per the nurses’ responses.

Conclusion

The majority of nurses demonstrated good knowledge and attitude in the aging process and care of the aged. Lack of special wards/facilities and lack of staff motivation were the leading perceived barriers to rendering care to the elderly. Scaling up gerontological nursing programs and establishing special aged care facilities in Ghana with appropriate policy guidelines and regulations for implementation of care will help improve nurses’ knowledge and caring attitudes toward the care of elderly patients. Likewise, a national geriatric care policy would help consolidate standard geriatric care in Ghana.