Knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward caring of older people in primary health-care centers at South of Jordan

Purpose This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of 420 nurses toward caring for older people in primary health-care centers in the southern region of Jordan. Design/methodology/approach Data collected through an electronic survey was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Findings The findings revealed that 91.0% of nurses had limited knowledge, with only 7.1% demonstrating average knowledge and 1.9% showing good knowledge about older people care. Furthermore, 85.2% of participants held neutral attitudes toward aged care, while 12.4% had positive attitudes and 2.4% exhibited negative attitudes. A significant correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude scores ( p -value = 0.000). Gender and marital status were found to influence attitudes, with significant statistical relationships ( p -values: gender = 0.000, marital status = 0.004). These results emphasize the importance of improving nursing education in geriatric care and promoting positive attitudes toward caring for older people patients. Practical implications The study highlights the need for ongoing professional development to enhance patient outcomes and the quality of care for the older people population. Further longitudinal research and comparative analyses are recommended to deepen the understanding of knowledge and attitudes across various health-care settings. Originality/value The study revealed a significant correlation between nursing practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes toward geriatric care, with gender and marital status significantly influencing attitudes, while age did not. This underscores the need for further research.