Effectiveness of a geriatric urinary incontinence educational program for nursing staff

Incontinence is becoming an increasingly widespread phenomenon. Individuals who suffer from incontinence-related problems, as well as their loved ones, must learn to live with daily situations that are often extremely demanding. In recent years, it has become evident that incontinence can be cured, or at least successfully managed. Many nurses, however, lack sufficient knowledge and skills to intervene appropriately in dealing with problems associated with a lack of bladder control. Therefore, the continence team of the Sherbrooke Geriatric University Institute developed a urinary incontinence educational program for nurses who care for older persons with this problem. An assessment of the impact of this program on nurses' knowledge, intervention skills and attitudes was conducted. A quasi-experimental protocol based on single-group with repeated-measures design was used for this study. A convenience sample was made up of 10 staff members at the Sherbrooke Geriatric University Institute. The study demonstrated a significant improvement in participants' knowledge, skills and attitudes (p=0.005, p=0.005 and p=0.017, respectively). Furthermore, the effects of the program in regard to the acquisition of skills and knowledge by nurses were still evident nine weeks after the program. The value of the present study lies in the development and positive evaluation of a new incontinence educational program for nurses based on a problem-solving approach.