Influence of nurses' knowledge of ageing and attitudes towards older people on therapeutic interactions in emergency care: A literature review

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this literature review was to determine nurses' knowledge and understanding of the ageing process and attitudes towards older people in emergency care settings.

Methods: Primary research publications about emergency nurses' attitudes towards and knowledge about older people were sought in six databases and Google.

Results: Sixteen articles were reviewed, including seven cross-sectional surveys, seven qualitative studies and two mixed-methods studies.

Conclusion: Emergency department nurses' attitudes towards and knowledge about ageing processes may affect therapeutic interactions between nurses and their older patients. Issues such as managerial style, past experiences and the medical model used for health-care delivery were secondary factors shown to influence emergency nurses' negativity towards their older patients. Further research focused on nurses' attitudes to and awareness or knowledge of gerontological issues, in particular in the ED, is warranted and would contribute to achieving desired cultural change.

Keywords: attitude; emergency; knowledge; nurse; older person.