Sammanfattning
Portugal is impacted by the rapid growth of the aging population, which has significant
implications for its health care system. However, nurses have received little education focusing on
the unique and complex care needs of older adults. This gap in the nurses' education has an
enormous impact in their knowledge and attitudes and affects the quality of nursing care provided to
older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1068 Portuguese nurses in five hospitals
(northern and central region) with the following purposes: (i) explore the knowledge and attitudes of
nurses about four common geriatric syndromes (pressure ulcer, incontinence, restraint use and sleep
disturbance) in Portuguese hospitals; and (ii) evaluate the influence of demographic, professional
and nurses' perception about hospital educational support, geriatric knowledge, and burden of caring
for older adults upon geriatric nursing knowledge and attitudes. The mean knowledge and attitudes
scores were 0.41 ± 0.15 and 0.40 ± 0.21, respectively (the maximum score was 1). Knowledge of
nurses in Portuguese hospitals about the four geriatric syndromes (pressure ulcers, sleep
disturbance, urinary incontinence and restraint use) was found inadequate. The nurses' attitudes
towards caring for hospitalized older adults were generally negative. Nurses who work in academic
hospitals demonstrated significantly more knowledge than nurses in hospital centers. The attitudes
of nurses were significantly associated with the hospital and unit type, region, hospital educational
support, staff knowledge, and perceived burden of caring for older adults. The study findings support
the need for improving nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards hospitalized older adults and
implementing evidence-based guidelines in their practice. Published by arrangement with John Wiley
& Sons.