Epidemiology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Nurses have a serious role in health care for older people. The attitudes of nurses towards the elderly affect the quality of the health service provided to older patient. This study was conducted to determine the effecting factors of nurses’ attitudes towards older people. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted on the nurses working at Eskisehir Osmangazi University Medical Faculty Hospital in May-June 2017. Population of the study was 306(%85.0 of total) nurses agreed to participate in the study. Data was collected through a questionnaire composed of Personal Information Form and Kogan's Attitudes towards Older People (KAOP) scale. Multiple lineer regression analyze was examined using the variables that had p-value lower than 0.05 from univariate lineer regression analysis. Findings: Of the participants 84.1% was female.The mean (SD) of age was 29.3(6.8), ranged between 18-52 years. Scores that gained from KOAP scale ranged between 55-212, its mean (SD) was 150.7(29.9) and its median was 153. According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis, income level and to want to live with their children when they are old were found to be related to attitudes of nurses towards older people (F: 8.456; p<0.05). Living with an elderly individual in the same household, willing to care for geriatric patients, feeling happy while giving care to geriatric patients, being responsible for giving care to an elderly family member were not found to be related to nurses’ attitudes towards older people (p>0.05). Conclusion & Significance: Nurses who have poor income level and those who want to live with their children when they are old, the attitudes towards old people found more positive. Increasing awareness of nurses about elderly can be useful to improve positive attitudes. Qualitative studies may be needed to investigate the factors that affect attitudes of nurses towards elderly. Recent Publications: 1. Liu YE, Norman IJ, While AE (2015) Nurses' attitudes towards older people and working with older patients: an explanatory model. Journal of nursing management 23:965-973. 2. Rathnayake S, Athukorala Y, Siop S (2016) Attitudes toward and willingness to work with older people among undergraduate nursing students in a public university in Sri Lanka: A cross sectional study. Nurse education today 36:439-444. 3. Arani MM, Aazami S, Azami M, Borji M (2017) Assessing attitudes toward elderly among nurses working in the city of Ilam. International Journal of Nursing Sciences 4:311-313. 4. Zhang S, Liu YH, Zhang HF, Meng LN, Liu PX (2016) Determinants of undergraduate nursing students' care willingness towards the elderly in China: Attitudes, gratitude and knowledge. Nurse education today 43:28-33. 5. Che CC, Chong MC, Hairi, NN (2018) What influences student nurses’ intention to work with older people? A crosssectional study. International journal of nursing studies 85:61-67.

Biography

Ramazan Saglan has been graduated from Cumhuriyet University, Turkey as medical doctor in 2013. He is a research assistant at Public Health Department of Eskisehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine since 2015. He is interested in Preventive medicine and community mental health subjects.

E-mail: rsaglan-64@hotmail.com