Attitudes of nurses toward the care of older adults and associated socio - demographic factors: a descriptive cross-sectional study at Teaching Hospital, Jaffna

BACKGROUND: It is important to give more emphasis to elderly care as the population is aging. Nurses play a vital role in caring for older adults. This study aimed to assess the attitude of nurses toward caring for older adults at Teaching Hospital Jaffna; to examine nurses' attitudes while caring for adults, maintaining patient rights, and communicating with older adults; and to determine the association between socio-demographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, religion, work unit, work experience, and educational qualification). METHODS: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses at Teaching Hospital Jaffna, with data collection carried out from July to August 2024, following ethical approval on 27 June 2024. A total of 232 nurses were selected, of whom 216 participated and completed the questionnaire. A pre-designed and validated self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS 25 software was used for data analysis. Descriptive analysis was used to assess nurses' attitudes, and the Chi-squared test was used to identify associations between socio-demographic factors and the attitudes. RESULTS: Out of the 232 nurses who were selected for the study, 216 participated and completed the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 93.1%; the analysis was conducted using the data obtained from these 216 participants. Participants' ages ranged from 25 to 57 years old. The majority were female (70.4%). Nearly half identified as Sri Lankan Tamil (52.8%) and Hindu (47.7%). Over half (63.9%) had fewer than five years of experience. More than three - quarters were diploma holders (78.2%). A total of 90.3% (95% CI: 85.6%-93.6%) of nurses demonstrated a positive attitude, while 9.7% (95% CI: 6.4%-14.4%) showed a negative attitude, based on a 50% cut-off value. The mean attitude score was 29.46 out of a maximum of 35, corresponding to 84.2%. A statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) was found between attitude and current ward/unit and higher education qualifications. CONCLUSIONS: Although a high proportion of nurses were classified as having a positive attitude (90.3%) toward care of older adults, this finding should be interpreted with caution due to the use of a 50% cutoff and potential response bias. The results indicate generally favorable attitudes; however, variation in specific aspects of care suggest the need for continuous training and professional development in geriatric nursing.