Turkish Nurses’ Attitudes towards Elder Abuse and Neglect and Related Factors

Abstract

Aim: Elder abuse is a universal phenomenon, although it changes according to time and social structure. Nurses need to be able to recognize elder abused and neglected people and to take initiatives for themThis study aimed to examine the attitudes of Turkish nurses towards elder abuse and neglect and related factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional and correlational study, we collected the data using an online questionnaire from 104 nurses who agreed to participate in the study between 15-25 June 2021, using the random sampling method. We analyzed the data in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23 program. Results: 69.2% of the nurses did not take a course on elder abuse, 99.2% received training on elder nursing in undergraduate education, 99.2% knew the concept of elderly abuse, 92.3% faced elder abuse, and 61.5% witnessed it, but they did not report the abuse. The rate of reporting elder abuse was 2.69 times higher in elder nurses, 6.71 times in those who did not believe that nurses could be protected adequately in case of problems that might arise, and 4.21 times in those with a high level of knowledge about the elder abuse law. Conclusion: In line with the findings, Turkish nurses had sufficient knowledge about elder abuse and neglect, but incident reports were inadequate. Implications for nursing management: Executive nurses should create algorithms that nurses can apply in cases of elder abuse and neglect.