Effectiveness of an educational intervention in modifying ageism among nurses in caring for older adults: a randomized controlled trial

Ageism, significantly impacts aged care by creating barriers to quality care, fostering negative perceptions of aging, and undermining older adults’ autonomy and well-being. With a growing older adults and their increasing health needs, addressing ageism among healthcare professionals is crucial. This study investigated the effectiveness of an educational intervention in reducing ageist attitudes among nurses. We conducted a randomized controlled cluster trial with 88 nurses in Hospitals affiliated with Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran. They were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 44) and a control group (n = 44). For the intervention group, the educational program on ageism in aged care consisted of six lectures, question and answer sessions, and discussions. Data were collected using a Demographic questionnaire, the Ageism in Nursing Care of Older People Scale, and Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, employing chi-square, independent samples t-tests, and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) approach. GEE revealed that the educational intervention significantly reduction in mean scores for ageism and its sub-dimensions: respecting for older adults in nursing care, attention to older adults and their basic caring needs, and age discrimination and negative views towards older adults (p < 0.001). Conversely, the intervention also led to a significant increase in awareness about aging (p < 0.001). However, the intervention was associated with significantly lower scores on measures of respecting for older adults in nursing care, attention to older adults and their basic caring needs. Educational interventions are effective in reducing ageism and enhancing awareness about the aging. Therefore, implementing specialized training programs on aging and ageism for hospital nurses and nursing students is recommended. Such initiatives can improve their knowledge and potentially lead to a decrease in ageism in aged care. The study has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials ( www.irct.ir ) with the number IRCT20240515061812N1 (Date 16.06.2024).