The Association Between Nurses' Gerontological Competencies and Attitudes Toward Older Adults

This paper investigated the association between nurses' gerontological competencies and attitudes toward older adults.

A descriptive and correlation research design was used in the study following the STROBE guidelines.

A total of 332 registered nurses from the medical faculty of a university hospital were included in the study. Data collection was conducted using a personal information form, the UCLA Geriatrics Attitudes (UCLA-GA) Scale, and the Gerontological Nursing Competence (GeroNursingCom) Scale.

Female participants had a higher UCLA-GA score than males (p < 0.05). Married participants had a higher UCLA-GA score than single ones (p < 0.05). Participants working for more than 19 years had a higher UCLA-GA score than those working for 1-10 years (p < 0.05). Married participants had a higher GeroNursingCom score than single ones (p < 0.05). Participants working for more than 19 years had a higher GeroNursingCom score than those working for 1-10 years (p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between UCLA-GA and GeroNursingCom scores (p > 0.05).

The results of the present study indicate that gender, marital status, age and work experience of the participating nurses affect their attitudes towards older adults. Effective training methods and implementation of appropriate policies are recommended to improve the geriatric care competencies of nurses working in hospitals and to improve their attitudes towards older adults.