Cerrahi Hemşirelerinin Yaşlı Hastalara Yönelik Tutumlarının Belirlenmesi

Abstract

Background: Due to chronic diseases and physiological changes with aging, the surgical processes care requirements may change. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the attitudes of surgical nurses toward older patients and the factors affecting the attitude. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 153 nurses who worked in surgical units of a university hospital located in Thrace region of Turkey from February 21 to March 11, 2020. Data were collected using a nurse identification form and the Kogan’s Attitude toward Older People scale. Data were analyzed using Whitney-U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results: The mean attitude score was 126.23 ± 15.52, the scores of nurses who had postgraduate degrees were statistically significantly higher than those who had high school degrees (p < .05). Negative attitude scores of nurses who had no experience in providing care for older patients were statistically significantly higher than those who had experience (p < .05). There was a positive relationship between the mean age and professional experience of nurses and the mean attitude score (r = .18 p = .019; r = .17 p = .027, respectively). Conclusion: The study showed that nurses who worked in surgical units had a positive attitude toward older patients, and their educational status, the experiences they gained in providing care for older patients, and the increase in their age and professional experience were effective in developing their positive attitudes toward older patients. The presence of educated and experienced surgical nurses in nursing care of older patients is important in terms of displaying positive attitudes towards them.