The United Nations has identified the training and education of healthcare professionals and care providers involved in the care of older persons as a global priority. Singapore is no exception as it faces a rapidly ageing population. Older people have many medical needs of varying dimensions and their care requires a multidisciplinary healthcare team. The current status of geriatric education of health professionals involved in elderly care in Singapore is discussed in this paper. Important issues raised include the disparity between professions in the stages of development of geriatric education, questions on the adequacy of numbers and training of healthcare professionals providing geriatric care, as well as the need for geriatric education of caregivers.
Aged ; Geriatric Nursing ; education ; Health Personnel ; education ; Humans ; Singapore

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the factors involved in ageism in nurses.METHODS: The participants in this study were 178 general hospital nurses. Data were collected in March 2019 using self-report questionnaires, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, and stepwise multiple linear regression.RESULTS: The total score for ageism was 39.75±5.44 out of a maximum of 72. Ageism had a statistically significant relationship with contact experience (r=-.47, p < .001), attitude (r=.40 p < .001), and aging anxiety (r=.35 p < .001). The determining factors affecting ageism were contact experience (β=-.45, p < .001), attitude(β=.20, p=.002), work place (β=.22, p < .001), marital status (β=.21, p < .001), geriatric nursing preference (β=.18, p=.006), geriatric education (β=.17, p=.006), and aging anxiety (β=.14, p=.041). The explanation power of these variables was 39%.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that contact experience with elders had the largest influence on ageism in nurses. Therefore, it is necessary to develop tailored education programs by hospital type to increase positive contact experience and promote understanding of older patients in acute care settings. Furthermore, the importance of the perception of ageism needs to be highlighted in nursing education and continuing education for nurses.
Ageism ; Aging ; Anxiety ; Education ; Education, Continuing ; Education, Nursing ; Geriatric Nursing ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Workplace

PURPOSE: This study investigated changes in attitudes toward elders in general and elders with dementia after students finished a gerontological nursing practicum. METHODS: Questionnaires developed for Asian cultures were administered pre practicum, immediately post practicum, and at 8-months follow up to 31 senior students in a baccalaureate nursing program. The 1-week practicum occurred at two adult day care centers: a center for elders with dementia and a center for elders with stroke. Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni correction procedures were used to analyze data. RESULTS: Students' evaluation of elder vitality and flexibility increased significantly at post practicum, however this increase was not sustained at follow up. Score of generosity of elders, the only positively evaluated dimension for elders in general, improved partly at post practicum. Students evaluated flexibility and generosity of elders with dementia more negatively than general elders. All of the decreased attitudes at follow up were not significantly different from those at pre practicum. CONCLUSIONS: Students had more negative attitudes toward elders with dementia. Attitudes of students in direct contact with elders with dementia were improved through the practicum regarding generosity and flexibility. However the sustainability of the immediate effect was not observed at follow up.
Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Day Care ; Dementia/*nursing ; *Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Female ; Geriatric Nursing/*education ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Stroke/*nursing ; Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: The traditional nursing roles have become increasingly blurred. Nurses are now working in different ways and at higher levels of practice that enable nurses to adapt their roles and take on new responsibilities. The advanced role of nurses requires a different kind of master-level prepared education. METHOD AND RESULT: This article describes an curriculum development process in preparing registered nurses for their advanced nurese' roles in the area of acute adult health nursing, geriatric nursing, pediatric nursing, neonatal intensive care nursing and oncology nursing. Several important issues to be solved regarding introduction of APN were also discussed. CONCLUSION: The curriculum that was proposed in the study will equip nurses to meet the challenges of future healthcare provision and will be a model to other areas of nursing practice and curriculum development.
Adult ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Critical Care Nursing ; Curriculum* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Geriatric Nursing ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Nursing ; Nurse Practitioners* ; Nursing ; Oncology Nursing ; Pediatric Nursing

PURPOSE: This study was to identify priority areas of nursing research in Korea. METHOD: A data analysis was done for the PhD subjects (n=133) who responded at the national level two-rounds delphi survey. Subjects were asked to assign a score from 1 to 7 for 29 nursing research areas regarding 3 aspects: the degree of nurses research leadership; the degree of contribution to nursing professions; and the degree of contribution to health and welfare of patients/clients. RESULT: For the overall three aspects, research area on clinical nursing practice was identified as the first priority, followed by nursing education, home health nursing, nursing research, and chronic disease. For nursing research leadership, research area on clinical nursing practice, nursing education, home health nursing, nursing research, and nursing diagnosis were identified. Concerning contribution to the nursing profession, the first priority was nursing education, followed by clinical nursing practice, nursing research, nursing policy, and home health nursing. Concerning contribution to the health/welfare of patients, clinical nursing practice, home health care, geriatric nursing, chronic disease, and symptom management were ranked as top 5 research priorities. CONCLUSION: The findings of this national survey will assist in building insights into the research needs of nurses practicing in Korea.
Chronic Disease ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education, Nursing ; Geriatric Nursing ; Home Health Nursing ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leadership ; Nursing Diagnosis ; Nursing Research* ; Nursing* ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: With a sample of cognitively impaired nursing home residents and nursing staff, the following were examined 1) the proportion and nature of aggressive behavior, 2) the frequency and types of aggressive behavior, 3) the difference between the residents who demonstrate aggressive behavior and those who do not demonstrate aggressive behavior (age, mental status, functional status, and pain, length of nursing home stay), and 4) nursing staff responses to aggressive behavior by residents. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Data were collected from cognitively impaired nursing home residents (N=205) and nursing staff (N=60) at two nursing homes using Ryden Aggression Scale I and II, Mini-Mental State Exam, Modified Barthel Index, Verbal Descriptor Scale, and aggressive behavior management questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including t-test. RESULTS: About 62.9% residents were found to be aggressive and 38.5% were both physically and verbally aggressive. Pushing, making threatening gestures, hitting, slapping, cursing/obscene/vulgar languages, making verbal threats were occurred frequently. Aggressive residents were significantly older, had more cognitive impairment, had more pain, and stayed longer in the nursing home when compared with non-aggressive residents. Considerable proportion of nursing staff responded to aggressive behaviors inadequately. CONCLUSION: Aggressive behavior among cognitively impaired nursing home residents is prevalent thus needs to be prevented and reduced. Along with environmental modification, educational programs for nursing staff and family caregivers need to be developed and implemented so that they can have extensive knowledge and skills to manage aggressive behaviors.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Aggression/psychology ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Case-Control Studies ; Clinical Competence/standards ; Cognition Disorders/*complications/nursing ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Nursing, Continuing ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Geriatric Nursing/education/organization & administration ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Inservice Training ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Mental Competency ; *Nursing Homes ; Nursing Staff/education/psychology ; Prevalence ; Psychomotor Agitation/epidemiology/*etiology/prevention & control/psychology ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The elderly with UI experienced urine leakage for a long time. The prevalence of UI has increased and it makes costly. Particularly, the elderly were reluctant to visit a hospital or a clinic for the reasons of modesty and poverty. To solve this problem, incontinence intervention programs should be provided at the elderly welfare center. The purpose of this research was to develop Incontinence Intervention Program for the Elderly Women (IIPE) and evaluate in its effect. METHODS: The study design was quasi-experimental with pre and post-test. The study was performed for ten weeks at one elderly welfare center, Seoul, Korea. The subjects were gathered through an official announcement and informed consent was obtained. IIPE, in this study, was consisted of diagnosis, education, exercise and evaluation. The study variables were PFM exercise adherence, pelvic muscle strength, Continence selfefficacy, geriatric depression and incontinence stress. The effects of the IIPE on PFM exercise adherence, pelvic muscle strength, Continence self-efficacy, geriatric depression and incontinence stress were also evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 75.2 years. The average attendance was 6.2 times. The IIPE improved PFM exercise adherence, intra-vaginal contraction power and CSE significantly. But it was not significant in incontinence stress and geriatric depression. Other important results were that the two-finger test and urine stream interruption were more useful for elderly women with rigid vaginas in teaching and evaluating. CONCLUSION: The Findings suggest that IIPE is effective to the community-residing elderly. Further investigation is needed on a long-term basis with control group.
Aged ; Exercise Therapy/*organization & administration ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Geriatric Nursing/*organization & administration ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing Evaluation Research ; *Nursing Homes ; Parity ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Patient Education as Topic/*organization & administration ; Pelvic Floor ; Prevalence ; Program Development ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Self Efficacy ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Incontinence/diagnosis/epidemiology/psychology/*rehabilitation ; Urodynamics

PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to reexamine underlying dimensions of attitudes toward the elderly held by undergraduate nursing students. A secondary purpose was to investigate characteristics of nursing students associated with attitudes toward elders. METHODS: A survey was performed using self-report questionnaire completed by nursing students from a total of 10 nursing schools or departments each selected randomly from one province of Korea. Students' responses (N=366) were analyzed using factor analysis, correlation coefficients, t-test, and ANOVA. RESULTS: Three attitudinal dimensions explaining 35.29% of the variance were extracted: vitality, generosity and flexibility. From a neutral point of 4.0 in the range of 1 to 7, only generosity (4.47) was evaluated positively, whereas vitality (3.31) and flexibility (2.91) were evaluated negatively. The mean scores of the vitality and generosity dimensions were significantly different by students' level of communication with the elderly, experience living with the elderly, and interest in elders or in issues related to elders. Interest in elders/elder issues was the only characteristic affecting significant mean score difference in flexibility. CONCLUSION: Educational process should increase students' exposure to healthy elderly to modify negative attitudes toward the elderly among nursing students.
Adolescent ; Adult ; *Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Communication ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/standards ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Geriatric Nursing/education ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Negativism ; Nursing Education Research ; Nursing Methodology Research ; *Prejudice ; Questionnaires ; Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data ; Stereotyping ; Students, Nursing/*psychology