Knowledge, Attitudes, and Caring Behaviors Towards Elderly Patients of Nursing Students at Southern University, Thailand
Praditporn Pongtriang
Keywords:
: knowledge, attitude, caring behavior, elderly patients, nursing studentsAbstract
This correlational study aimed to determine the levels and relationships between knowledge, attitudes and caring behaviors towards elderly patients among nursing students. The sample comprised of 260 third-year undergraduate nursing students from three universities in Southern of Thailand. There were four components of data collection included: 1) personal characteristics, 2) gerontological knowledge questionnaire, 3) attitudes towards the elderly, and 4) nursing students’ caring behaviors towards elderly patients. The research instruments’ content validity indexes were 0.98, 0.99 and 1.00. The reliability of the gerontological knowledge questionnaire (rKR-20) was 0.78. The coefficients of Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaires on attitudes towards elderly patients and caring behaviors towards elderly patients were 0.84 and 0.84, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean), and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The results showed that third-year nursing students had moderate level of knowledge towards elderly patients (M = 28.37, SD = 2.88), while their attitudes (M = 197.40, SD = 15.64) and their caring behaviors towards elderly patients (M = 53.00, SD = 6.17) were both at a high level. Pearson’s correlation indicated a substantial relationship between knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.26, p = 0.00) as well as between attitudes and caring behaviors towards elderly patients (r = 0.37, p = 0.00). However, a non-significant relationship between knowledge and caring behavior towards elderly patients was found (r = 0.016, p = 0.79).
The findings indicate that the development of teaching and learning management strategies for nursing students should promote accurate nutrition and prevent physical deterioration in the elderly. The study also provides recommendations for programs to encourage nursing students' favorable attitudes toward behavioral change in the elderly population.
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