Nurses’ attitudes towards hospitalized older adults in a tertiary care setting in Ghana

Abstract

Introduction The increasing population of older adults and rapid increases in co‐morbidities globally has necessitated the need for a healthcare delivery system that meets the multifaceted needs of the growing population of older adults. Concurrent with these rising complex health needs is the importance of positive, non‐judgmental attitudes of health services providers towards older adults. Moreover, this is particularly important in the nursing profession, given nurses' significant and crucial roles in healthcare settings. Aim The study aimed to evaluate nurses’ attitudes towards older adults in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Design It employed a descriptive cross‐sectional quantitative design. Method Data were collected from 160 registered adult medical and surgical ward nurses using the Ageism Attitude Scale (AAS). Results Findings indicated that more than half of the participants had a diploma in general nursing. None of the nurses surveyed specialized in the care of older adults, and the mean age of participants was 30.14 (3.75) (minimum 24 and maximum 42 years). Female nurses had more positive attitudes than their male counterparts. Although the surveyed nurses reported a somewhat positive attitude towards older adults, there was no correlation between nurses' education levels and positive attitudes.

Self‐reported dignity and factors that influence dignity in hospitalised older adults: A cross‐sectional survey

“…The evidence suggests that despite a positive caring attitude of nurses towards hospitalised older adults in Ghana (Salia et al, 2022;Yakubu et al, 2022), many patients still experience compromised dignity during acute hospitalisation .…”

“…The evidence suggests that despite a positive caring attitude of nurses towards hospitalised older adults in Ghana (Salia et al, 2022; Yakubu et al, 2022), many patients still experience compromised dignity during acute hospitalisation (Fuseini, Rawson, et al, 2022). This can be attributed to several factors, including a lack of autonomy, inadequate privacy during care, ineffective HCP‐patient communication and a lack of involvement of family members in the physical aspects of care (Calnan et al, 2013; Tauber‐Gilmore, Addis, et al, 2018).…”

Nursing and midwifery students' perceptions of the elderly in nursing homes: a metaphor analysis

“…The increasing elderly population and the increase in diseases observed in old age reveal the importance of positive and nonjudgemental attitudes of healthcare professionals toward the elderly. 5 People who will work in this field need to know the theories and concepts about the ageing period, such as physiological and pathological changes of ageing, frailty and functionality in the elderly, and effective communication skills such as listening, respect and empathy. 6 It also reported that there is a lack of educators with gerontological knowledge, skills and necessary attitudes and there is need to investigate the factors affecting their attitudes.…”

“…The perceptions, attitudes and competence levels of health professionals who will work in these institutions and in health care services to be provided for the elderly are very important. The increasing elderly population and the increase in diseases observed in old age reveal the importance of positive and non‐judgemental attitudes of healthcare professionals toward the elderly 5 . People who will work in this field need to know the theories and concepts about the ageing period, such as physiological and pathological changes of ageing, frailty and functionality in the elderly, and effective communication skills such as listening, respect and empathy 6 .…”

“I don’t Want to Die Alone” Nurses’ Perception of Ageism: A Qualitative Study

“…In the literature, it has been reported that ageism affects the well-being of the elderly negatively, causing depressive symptoms and low self-esteem (Marquet et al, 2019; Lyons et al, 2018). It is important to reduce ageism while older individuals receive health services in places such as hospitals and health care centers (Yakubu et al, 2022; Gholamzadeh et al, 2022).…”