Development of the Perspectives on Caring for Older Patients scale: Psychometric analyses

Gerontology and Geriatrics in Undergraduate Nursing Education in Portugal and Spain: An Integrative and Comparative Curriculum Review

Nurses play a critical role in caring for elderly patients; however, the emphasis on aging care in undergraduate programs may be insufficient. The present study aims at identifying the relevance given to theoretical and/or practical gerontological and geriatric contents in undergraduate study plans in Portugal and Spain. Presenting a two-part investigation, an integrative review approach examines nursing education on a global scale and a comparative analysis, using Bereday's comparative method, to assess the nursing curricula between Portugal and Spain. The search found 117 documents, with 16 being included. Studies covered diverse educational practices in geriatric and gerontological nursing, emphasizing curriculum development, faculty expertise, practical training, attitudes towards elderly care, and future directions. The comparative analysis of nursing curricula revealed that Portugal places a priority on building foundational theoretical knowledge in the first year and then gradually integrating practical training. In contrast, Spain emphasizes an extensive and integrated approach with a strong focus on practical skills and comprehensive assessments. Our research emphasizes the need to incorporate aging-focused education into nursing curricula and update the curriculum, providing hands-on training with early exposure to these environments. Additionally, simulation classes can enhance critical thinking by allowing students to experience aging effects firsthand.

"The supreme discipline of Nursing"-A qualitative content analysis of nurses' opinions on caring for people eighty years of age and older

Introduction

Nurses often experience stress and feel under time pressure when working with older people, increasing their job dissatisfaction. Especially people 80 years of age and older often require more complex and a greater measure of care, as the risk of care dependency is higher in this age group. This study was conducted to collect nurses' experiences and opinions regarding the care of people 80 years of age and older, as well as to learn more about how nurses perceive this care.

Method

We analysed narratives collected in an Austrian nationwide, cross-sectional online study to investigate nurses' attitudes towards people 80 years of age and older and their perceptions regarding their care (N = 1197). Data were collected from May-October 2021 by using a convenience sampling method. In total, 149 participants filled in the free text field; these texts were analysed using a qualitative content analysis method.

Results

Three main themes emerged from the analysis of the nurses' narratives: (1) 'opinions on people in need of care', (2) 'reputation of nursing profession', and (3) 'criticism of current nursing practice'. Most narratives were assigned to the subthemes 'positive opinions on nursing', 'ideal image of nursing', and 'shortage of staff'.

Conclusion

Nurses considered their work with people aged 80 years and older to be meaningful and important, but they criticised working conditions which need to be improved. This could be achieved by offering further education and increasing nursing staff. Further research is needed to investigate nurses' needs and wishes regarding the care of people aged 80 years and older.

Nurses' perspectives on caring for and attitudes towards adults aged eighty years and older

BACKGROUND

Adults aged 80 years and older form a vulnerable group regarding perceived ageism, because they are often stereotyped as being frail and dependent. Nurses often display biased behaviour and hold negative attitudes towards this age group, due to the fact that they have frequent contact with patients who need complex care. As this frequent contact can negatively influence the quality of care, we performed this study to assess nurses' attitudes towards adults aged 80 and older and their views regarding their care, as well as to identify factors that influence attitudes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was used. A convenience sample of 1179 Austrian nurses was taken, and their attitudes were measured using the Ageing Semantic Differential (ASD) Scale. Their views on caring for older adults were assessed with the Perspectives on Caring for Older People (PCOP) Scale. Multiple linear regression was used to examine factors that influence nurses' attitudes. The Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Graz (EK Number 31-320 ex 18/19) gave their ethical approval for this study.

RESULTS

Nurses display neutral to positive attitudes towards adults aged 80+ and view caring for them positively. Positive attitudes were indicated, for example, by the factors of a positive view towards the care of older patients, a higher education and a personal relationship with older adults. Negative attitudes were indicated by the factors of being female and interacting more frequently with older care receivers.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the nurses' attitudes were not negative, they should be encouraged to view this patient population more positively. Educational interventions to alter nurses' attitudes and thus to improve the quality of care are recommended. As the ASD measures some aspects of ageism, it is recommended to consider qualitative methods in future studies to obtain a deeper knowledge of ageism in nursing care.

Willingness to care for older people and associated factors in pre-registered student nurses: A multi-country survey study

BACKGROUND

Addressing nursing students' lack of interest in providing care for the aged population is a global challenge for nursing educators. Despite global interest in student nurses' readiness for older people care, almost all the literature has been identified from single countries, predominantly with high income per capita. At present, no study has been conducted to provide evidence-based data related to this topic from a multi-country perspective.

OBJECTIVE

The study's purpose was to examine the willingness to work with older persons and associated factors among student nurses from nine countries (or regions).

DESIGN

This study utilized a correlational and cross-sectional design.

SETTINGS

This was a multi-country survey study conducted in China, Chile, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Greece, the State of Palestine (henceforth Palestine), the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia.

PARTICIPANTS

2250 baccalaureate nursing students were recruited from 10 universities in this study.

METHODS

The survey that was used to collect data comprised four parts: socio-demographic data, attitude toward aging, older person care perception, and willingness to work with such group.

RESULTS

Respondents in five regions (including Mainland China, Greece, Hong Kong, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia) stated that older persons were the least favored group for future career choices. In comparison with mainland China, respondents in Chile, India, and the Philippines were significantly more likely to be willing to care for older patients, but those in Egypt and Greece indicated a lower tendency to choose this option. Favorable attitudes toward aging and older person care perception were significantly associated with having the willingness to provide care to gerontologic patients in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

Although attitudes toward aging and older person care perception have long been confirmed as important factors that are linked with willingness in caring for older people, this study adds that location is a more influential factor. Additional research in other countries is needed to advance the knowledge in this important area.

Translation and validation of an ageism scale for dental students in Switzerland

PURPOSE

This study aimed to validate an ageism scale for dental students in Switzerland.

METHODS

The original scale was first translated to German and then evaluated by 14 experts for relevance; four items were eliminated. Validation of the resulting questionnaire was performed at three Swiss dental schools. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed; Cronbach's alpha (α) was used to assess the internal consistency reliability, and Pearson's coefficient to identify any correlations with demographic parameters (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

PCA revealed 11 items among 4 factors (Overall: 11 items, α = 0.63, variance = 56.6%; Factor #1 (F1): items = 3, α = 0.64; Factor #2 (F2): items = 3, α = 0.42; Factor #3 (F3): items = 3, α = 0.35; Factor #4 (F4): items = 2, α = 0.37). F1 and F4 were correlated with clinical experience (F1: P = 0.042; F4: P = 0.006) and participation in a gerodontology course (F1: P = 0.021; F4: P = 0.004). F1 was correlated with experience of dealing with the elderly (P = 0.031), while residence locality was correlated with F3 (P = 0.047) and F4 (P = 0.043). F2 was correlated with the presence of elderly in the family (P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

The translated dental ageism questionnaire for Switzerland resulted in an 11-item scale with acceptable reliability.

Attitudes toward aging of health professions students: Implications for geriatrics education

We compared attitudes toward aging of students from several health professions (N = 1,156: 286 medical, 275 pharmacy, 213 undergraduate nursing, 160 graduate nursing, 139 Internal Medicine residents, 49 physical therapy, and 34 physician assistant), and assessed the construct validity of the Image of Aging Scale. Physical therapy and graduate nursing students reported more positive attitudes toward aging in comparison to all other health professions (all p <.001). Differences in attitudes were not strongly affected by demographic variables, clinical exposure, desire to pursue primary care, or interest in providing care to older adults. The Image of Aging Scale yielded good internal reliability and adequate construct validity for health professions students. Health professions students' attitudes toward aging largely reflect the students' professional training, rather than student characteristics or career goals. The Image of Aging Scale is a robust measure of attitudes toward aging in health professions students and in older adults.

Student perceptions of older adults after a music intervention: A mixed approach

AIMS

The aims of this project were to investigate changes in nursing students' attitudes and perceptions of older adults after implementing individualized Music and Memory© playlists. In addition, the inquiry sought to compare pre and post survey responses for changes in rankings of caring for the older adult as a career choice. The qualitative inquiry sought to explore students' perceptions of their experience through narrative journaling for a better understanding of the experience.

DESIGN

This study used an explanatory sequential mixed design.

METHODS

A pre post-intervention approach was used for quantitative data collection along with a ranking item for career choices. Journal narratives completed within one week following the experience were explored for qualitative themes to better understand students' experiences. Attitudes and perceptions of students (N = 44) were measured by two tools before and after implementation of Music and Memory© Interventions during a 7-week clinical experience. Student journals were analyzed for themes.

RESULTS

In the two-tailed paired t-test, nursing students' attitudes and perceptions of caring for older adults were analyzed for differences. Significance improvement was found in students' reported interaction scores and other constructs (p ≤ .01). Mean ranking of caring for the older adult improved from 7.6 to 7.0 in the post intervention analysis. Student journals reported the activity as worthwhile and time consuming.

CONCLUSIONS

As the baby boomer generation ages the need for residential long-term care is projected to increase significantly. Recruiting and retaining nurses to care for this vulnerable population is challenging. Music and Memory© Interventions have the potential to change student attitudes and perceptions of the older adult that could improve caring for the older adult as a career choice.

Predicting undergraduate nursing students' willingness to care for older adults: A multicenter cross-sectional study in Asia

AIM

To investigate the willingness of nursing students in Hong Kong and Mainland China to care for the elderly and to identify the factors influencing their willingness.

DESIGN

A correlational and cross-sectional design.

METHODS

A four-part self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect data from the undergraduate nursing students in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

RESULTS

The total sample consisted of 820 nursing students, with 481 students in Hong Kong and 339 students in Mainland China. The scores of willingness to care for older people of the two groups were similar (mean score 4.68 versus 4.44), and no significant difference was observed between the students in the two regions (p = .071). A very low proportion of the nursing students in Hong Kong (7.7%) and those in Mainland China (3.6%) ranked caring for older people as their first choice of work. No salient predictors of willingness to care for older people existed for the nursing students in Mainland China.

Connecting Nursing Students and Older Adults: An Intergenerational Service-Learning Experience

BACKGROUND

Aging populations have an increased need for health care services. Nursing students are often introduced to care of older adults through a clinical experience in a skilled nursing facility, which can negatively bias a student's attitudes toward this population.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students toward older adults.

METHOD

Students (N = 104) completed a minimum of 5 visits with an independent community-dwelling older adult. Student attitudes toward older adults were measured before and after the experience using the Polizzi Refined Aging Semantic Differential Scale. Student and older adult participants responded to satisfaction surveys.

RESULTS

Statistical and clinically significant improvements in student attitudes were noted after the service-learning intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse educators can impact the way nursing students view the older adult population by including intergenerational service-learning experiences in the curriculum.

Why We Have to Develop Instruments of Our Caring Measurement Based on an Indonesian Perspective

Introduction: Caring is the core or focus in nursing as a form of professional nursing practice. The current caring instrument is an original instrument that measures the attitudes or behavior of nurses, has not paid attention to the administrative and environmental aspects of the hospital. The use of an instrument that does not yet contain certain characteristics gives rise to improper measurement results. The purpose of this study was to explain the importance of developing caring measurement instruments with an Indonesian perspective.Methods: Systematic reviews were carried out from database articles on ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, Wiley online, Proquest, and EBSCOhost. Criteria for articles were articles published in the last 10 years, national and international research locations, and in Indonesian and English. 15 references were obtained from 2100 references that met the predetermined criteria. The development of a caring behavior instrument based on an Indonesian perspective does not yet exist.Results: The results found that development on the basis of linguistics, cultural adjustment, and according to the prevalence of disease in a country because the epidemiology of the disease differs on the climate region.Conclusion: Specific caring instruments in an Indonesian perspective is expected that the research results will be more accurate. 

Where are we now in relation to determining the prevalence of ageism in this era of escalating population ageing?

Population ageing is escalating rapidly now worldwide. This is an important time to determine if ageism or discrimination against older people is of concern, such as it being prevalent and/or increasing in prevalence. Over the years, many ageism measurement tools have been developed, with research findings from their use of prime consideration then for determining the prevalence of ageism and any prevalence trends. All print and open access English-language research articles published in 1953+ that used one or more ageism measurement tools in a study were sought using the Directory of Open Access Journals and EBSCO Discovery Service. A total of 25 ageism measurement tools were identified. However, only six had been used one or more times to measure the prevalence of ageism. The identified prevalence levels varied considerably, but most investigations using small convenience samples, with limited generalizability of findings. This paper highlights the need to continue developing ageism measurement tools to estimate ageism or use other measures, such as census and population-representative polling, to assess the extent and impact of ageism. This foundational measurement is needed, as ageism could be prevalent and growing in effect.