Attitude Clinical Care Ethics of Elderly Patients among Nurses

Aging care ethics by nurses have a particular importance, but its extent is different in clinical nurses. The aim of this study was to examine ethics in nurses care of elderly patients in the western Golestan province.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017. The study population consisted of 183 nurses working in centers sheltered western Golestan University of Medical Sciences that took care of elderly patients. Quota sampling method was performed in 3 cities. Quotas on the number of nurses in each hospital were different. Data collection tools included demographic information and questionnaire for the Ethical Treatment of elderly care. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16, descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and Spearman, Friedman and ordinal regression with the significant level of p< 0.05.

Total number of 142 cases (77.6%) nurses was female. The average ethics was 63.4±13.1 (IQR=15). The 158 individuals (86.3%) were in the moderate and high level of ethics. Cooperation and empathy (Mean Rank=5.4) had the highest area of ethics based on the Friedman test. Kindness and valuating the patient aspect (P=0.0001, OR=5.91) had the most effective areas in ethics based on ordinal regression. A Chi-square test showed the significant relationship between ethics and gender (P=0.003), marital status (P=0.005), the nurses ward (P=0.013), and employment (P=0.001).

The study showed that the ethics of nurses in the care of elderly patients was moderate and high. The ethics of care can be improved by developing evaluation systems, moderating non-essential activities of nurses, gender proportionality between patients and nurses and focusing on patient education.