Geriatric Nursing Care in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review of Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices

Abstract

BackgroundEthiopia's rapidly growing older population increases demand for geriatric care, yet nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward elderly care remain fragmented and inadequately synthesized at the national level.ObjectiveThis systematic review assessed the overall level of nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward geriatric care in Ethiopia and identified key factors influencing these elements.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online. Eligible studies were screened, and data were extracted using predefined criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled prevalence and identify associated factors.ResultsSeven studies from diverse Ethiopian regions were included. The mean proportion of nurses with knowledge of geriatric care that was rated as good or better was 43%, while 44% of the nurses studied had positive attitudes about geriatric care, and 39% had good practice levels of geriatric care. Determinants of higher knowledge, attitudes, and practice included previous geriatric training, higher education level, living with older adults, longer work experience, and being in the 30-39 years age group.Conclusion and RecommendationThis review found that fewer than half of Ethiopian nurses demonstrate adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, or good practice toward geriatric care. Targeted geriatric training and curriculum reform are urgently needed.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Creative Nursing, 2026 · DOI ↗