Nurses' Perceptions and Management of Urinary Incontinence in Hospitalized Older Adults: An Integrative Review

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a geriatric syndrome affecting older adults in long-term and acute hospital care. Most research has focused on nurses' perceptions of UI in long-term care and community settings rather than acute hospital settings. The purpose of the current integrative review was to understand nurses' perceptions and use of continence strategies for hospitalized older adults. Literature published from 1996-2016 was reviewed. Critical appraisal of the articles by two researchers yielded 10 articles that described nine studies. Findings revealed that nurses lack knowledge or motivation to thoroughly assess UI in older adults, often focusing on containment strategies (e.g., adult briefs) rather than conducting an assessment and promoting continence. More education about UI assessment, management, and research is needed to improve nursing care of hospitalized older adults. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(10), 46-55.].