Knowledge of the Nursing Team about Urinary Incontinence and Fecal Incontinence in Institutionalized Elderly

Abstract

The increase in life expectancy and the decrease in fertility rates represent the new demographic sense in Brazil and in the world. The main consequence of population aging is mainly the new challenges in the treatment of pathologies resulting from advancing age and how to treat our new elderly. Among the existing geriatric diseases, the occurrence of Urinary Incontinence (UI) and Fecal Incontinence (FI) is common, representing a challenge to health professionals, especially nursing. Given this scenario, how prepared is the nursing team to face these pathologies? Objective: To analyze the knowledge of nurses in the identification of Urinary and Fecal Incontinence in institutionalized elderly people. Method: this is a cross-sectional and descriptive research, with quantitative analysis. It was carried out in a Long-Term Care Institution for the Elderly with nurses, who agreed to participate in the research. Data collection took place in the first week of September 2023, on alternating days and shifts to include all employees of the institution. The data were organized in tables and imported into an Excel file for analysis by the researchers. Results: The sociodemographic results showed that most of the team was composed of nurses with more than 5 years of training, more than 10 years of work experience, and the vast majority did not have postgraduate, master's or doctoral degrees. The specific results showed that most nurses recognize FI and IA, but do not recognize the role of nurses in intervening in the pathological process, considering it as normal due to advancing age. Conclusion : Nurses are involved daily in daily practices aimed at institutionalized elderly people, making it important to have a qualified stomatherapist who can assist in conducting FI and IU. In addition, the need for research to strengthen this theme is highlighted.