Education program promoting report of elder abuse by nursing students: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Elder abuse is an important public health concern that requires urgent attention. One main barrier to active responses to elder abuse in clinical settings is a low level of relevant knowledge among nurses. This study aims to develop an educational program to promote an intent to report elder abuse among nursing students and assess its effectiveness, with a focus on the rights of older adults. METHODS: A mixed method design was used with the Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate model. Twenty-five nursing students from Chungbuk Province participated in the study. Attitude toward older adults and knowledge of, awareness of, attitude towards, and intent to report elder abuse were assessed quantitatively and analyzed using paired t-test. The feasibility of the program and feedback were collected qualitatively through group interviews and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: After the education program, attitude toward older adults (Cohen’s d = 1.08), knowledge of (Cohen’s d = 2.15), awareness of (Cohen’s d = 1.56), attitude towards (Cohen’s d = 1.85), and intent to report elder abuse (Cohen’s d = 2.78) increased, confirming the positive effects of this program. Overall, all participants were satisfied with the contents and method of the program. CONCLUSIONS: The method of program delivery should be improved and tailored strategies to boost program engagement among nursing students should be explored to implement and disseminate the program.