Knowledge and attitudes of nurses in Malta's acute general hospital towards old age : a quantitative study

Abstract

Background: The percentage of older people within our population is on the rise. Literature consistently suggest that the level of care that older people receive when they are admitted in hospitals is generally suboptimal. Nurses’ negative attitudes and inadequate level of knowledge strongly influence such level of care. Local research focusing on this subject is scarce, especially in the acute-setting in which older people are more prone to several complications. Objectives: To explore acute-care nurses’ level of knowledge and attitudes related to ageing and older people. To identify also any significant correlation that could exist between nurses’ knowledge and their attitudes and any socio-demographic characteristics that could affect their knowledge and attitudes. Designs and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design, characterised by the collection of data through an online-questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed to 339 nurses with a response rate of 48.4% (n=164). Kogan’s Attitude towards Old People scale and Palmore’s Facts on Ageing Quiz were the tools used in the questionnaire. Participants: All nurses working in the main medical and surgical wards within the local acutecare hospital. Results: The study findings reveal moderately poor level of knowledge and a moderately positive attitude score about old age and older adults among acute-care nurses. A positive correlation between nurses’ knowledge and attitudes was reported. Nurses with higher academic qualification and having additional geriatric/gerontology reported significant better attitudes towards old age and older people. Male nurses, Charge nurses, having attended an additional geriatric/gerontology course and having an older person living in the same household resulted in a significant better level of knowledge. Conclusion: In the local setting, further initiatives are warranted to improve nurses’ level of attitudes and knowledge among old age and older adults. This would result in older people receiving improved level of nursing care during their hospital admission.