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. 2023 Jan 22;23(1):39.
doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-03762-z.

Nursing assistants' knowledge, attitudes and training needs regarding urinary incontinence in nursing homes: a mixed-methods study

Lulu Liao  1 , Hui Feng  2   3   4 , Jingjing Jiao  5 , Yinan Zhao  5 , Hongting Ning  5
Affiliations

Nursing assistants' knowledge, attitudes and training needs regarding urinary incontinence in nursing homes: a mixed-methods study

Lulu Liao et al. BMC Geriatr. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Urinary incontinence is an increasingly common problem, especially among older people in nursing homes. Nursing assistants are the leading workforce in nursing homes, and their knowledge and attitudes regarding urinary incontinence have garnered considerable attention in the context of aging in China. However, most previous studies on this issue have focused on registered nurses. This study aimed to explore nursing assistants' knowledge, attitudes and training needs with regard to urinary incontinence.

Methods: We conducted a two-part mixed-methods study. After institutional manager approval, we surveyed the knowledge and attitudes of 509 nursing assistants regarding urinary incontinence. We carried out semi-structured interviews with 40 nursing assistants to elicit detailed information on training needs.

Results: In general, knowledge about urinary incontinence was poor (14.00 ± 4.18), although attitudes were primarily positive (35.51 ± 3.19). Most nursing assistants were very willing to learn more about urinary incontinence (93.9%, 478/509), but time constraints and low educational background may be barriers to learning motivation. The three preferred training styles among nursing assistants were face-to-face guidance from a mentor, training combining theory with practice, and online video training.

Conclusions: Chinese nursing assistants had poor knowledge but positive attitudes toward urinary incontinence. Facility managers should focus on developing training and learning mechanisms regarding urinary incontinence. It is important to adopt diverse training styles according to the actual situation of nursing homes.

Keywords: Mixed methods; Nursing assistants; Nursing homes; Training; Urinary incontinence.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflicts of interest have been declared by the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of the mixed methods study with an explanatory sequential design UIKS: Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale, UIAS: Urinary Incontinence Attitude Scale
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flowchart of sampling and random assignment. NHs: nursing homes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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