Nurse’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and its Associated Factors toward Geriatric Patient Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Although various studies have been conducted on nurses’ attitudes and knowledge, as well as the factors associated with geriatric patient care, a comprehensive assessment of the overall levels of knowledge and an attitude has not been performed. Objective: To evaluate levels of nurses’ attitudes and knowledge toward geriatric patient care and related factors in Ethiopia. Materials and Method: This review exclusively included articles published in English. The primary databases searched were Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, the Ethiopian University Repository Online, and the Cochrane Library. The overall levels of nurses’ attitudes and knowledge were assessed using a random effects model. All statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 14. Results: This review included seven studies with a total of 2,688 participants from Ethiopia. The findings indicated that 38.91% of nurses had positive attitudes, while 43.11% had good knowledge. Educational qualifications, experience, and knowledge status of nurses influenced their attitudes toward geriatric care, while the educational level, experience, and training in geriatric care affected the nurses’ knowledge in this area. Conclusions: Approximately 39% of the nurses demonstrated a positive attitude, and 43% exhibited good knowledge of geriatric care. Therefore, it is vital for national and regional governments, along with other stakeholders, to implement measures aimed at improving nurses’ attitudes, skills, education, knowledge, and the identified influencing factors.