Self‐efficacy and attitudes of nurses providing oral care in geriatric care facilities: A cross‐sectional study in Shanghai

AIMS: To investigate nurses' self‐efficacy and attitudes of providing oral care in geriatric care facilities (GCFs) and compare differences between individuals, facilities and countries. DESIGN: A cross‐sectional and multicentre study. METHODS: Data were collected from 852 nurses in 42 GCFs using two scales, “Self‐Efficacy for Providing Mouth Care” (SE‐PMC) and “Attitudes for Providing Mouth Care” (A‐PMC), and analysed using t‐test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Totally 852 nurses (844 females, 99%) participated in this study with an effective response rate of 85.2%. Scores of SE‐PMC and A‐PMC of nurses varied significantly among GCFs with different sizes, types and years of establishment and differentiated among staff about the length of employment (p < .05). Nurses (N = 434) in North Carolina scored higher than nurses in Shanghai both in SE‐PMC and A‐PMC (p < .05). Establishment and implementation of Oral health promotion programmes were desired based on characteristics of different institutions and nurses' clinical ladder.