Investigation on the Current Status of Geriatric Nursing Competence Among Emergency Department Nurses in Tertiary Hospitals in Hainan Province

Objective: To investigate the current status of geriatric nursing competence among emergency department nurses and explore pathways to improve their capabilities, providing a theoretical basis for enhancing geriatric care in emergency settings. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to select 170 nurses working in emergency departments of tertiary hospitals in Hainan Province from October to November 2024. Data were collected using the General Information Questionnaire and the Revised Clinical Nursing Competence Evaluation Scale for Emergency Nurses. SPSS 20.0 was employed for data entry and statistical analysis, with P < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results:The scores for geriatric nursing competence across five dimensions were as follows: emergency response (30.24 ± 7.650), condition assessment (22.46 ± 5.574), effective communication (22.22 ± 5.444), resource integration (18.48 ± 4.560), and self-protection (11.20 ± 2.914), with a total score of 93.41 ± 22.27. Significant differences (P< 0.05) were observed in competence scores based on age, education level, participation in geriatric training, and work experience. Conclusion: The geriatric nursing competence of emergency nurses in China needs improvement. Nursing administrators should implement targeted training programs and integrate humanities education to enhance comprehensive geriatric care skills among emergency nurses.