Turkish Nurses’ Attitudes towards Elder Abuse and Neglect and Related Factors

Objective: Elder abuse appears as a global phenomenon that varies with time and societal structure. Nurses need to be able to recognize abused and neglected older people and take initiative for them. This study aimed to examine Turkish nurses’ attitudes towards elder abuse and neglect and related factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional and correlational study, the data were collected from 104 nurses who agreed to participate in the study between 15 and 25 June 2021 with an online questionnaire using a random sampling method. Results: Sixty nine point two percent of the nurses did not take a course on elder abuse, 99.2% received training on elder nursing in undergraduate education, 99.2% knew the concept of elder abuse, 92.3% encountered elder abuse cases, and 61.5% encountered an elder abuse case but did not report it. The rate of reporting elder abuse was 2.69 times higher in nurses with more work experience, 6.71 times in those who believed that nurses can be adequately protected against potential problems, and 4.21 times higher in those with a high level of knowledge about the elder abuse law. Conclusion: According to the results, Turkish nurses had sufficient knowledge about elder abuse and neglect, but reporting rate was inadequate.