'Is elderly care affected by nurse attitudes?' A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing Studies
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• The global population of older adults is growing.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) defines individuals aged 65 and above as elderly.
• Deficiencies in basic care for the elderly are partly attributed to negative attitudes held by some nursing staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing research on nursing staff attitudes towards older people.
• To identify factors contributing to negative attitudes in nurses concerning elderly care.
• To inform strategies for improving care provision for the aging population.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review was conducted.
• Searches were performed across CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Inter nurse databases, yielding 119 results.
• Five relevant research papers were included, sourced from databases, reference lists, and the internet.

Main Results:

• Both student and qualified nurses can exhibit negative attitudes toward older individuals.
• These negative attitudes have a detrimental impact on the quality of care provided.
• A lack of knowledge regarding the aging process and gerontology is a primary reason for these negative attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Further research, including in-depth interviews, is necessary to understand the root causes of negative nurse attitudes.
• Implementing targeted strategies is essential to address and mitigate these negative attitudes.
• Improving nurse attitudes is key to enhancing the provision of quality care for older adults.