Implementation and evaluation of an education programme for nursing staff on recognising, reporting and managing resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in aged care facilities.

AIM: To implement an educational programme for nursing staff on recognising, reporting and managing resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in aged care facilities. BACKGROUND: The phenomenon of a growing ageing population increases the demand of optimum care for older people living in aged care facilities. Caring for older people is complex, but should include the management of aggressive interaction between them. Nursing staff play a vital role in identifying and managing those behaviours. However, many nurses may not recognise these aggressive interactions as abuse. Therefore, this study aims to manage and reduce this abuse through an educational programme. DESIGN: Cluster randomised trial registered on the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN 12617001618347). METHODS: This trial was undertaken in an aged care facility located in Melbourne, Australia and was funded in January 2017. Wards were randomly allocated (as the intervention and control group) by using sealed opaque envelopes. Nursing staff, who met eligibility, were consecutively recruited and supplied their informed consent. Nurses from the intervention group received an educational programme, while nurses from the control group continued with the usual standard care. Main outcomes included recognising, managing and reporting the abuse before and after the intervention and will be evaluated on an intention-to-treat analysis. DISCUSSION: It is vital to manage and reduce resident-to-resident elder mistreatment. This educational programme may assist nursing staff to protect vulnerable older people experiencing this abuse and may improve comprehensive evidence-based care for older people residing in aged care facilities.

A systematic review protocol of educational programs for nursing staff on management of resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in residential aged care homes.

AIM: To review evidence concerning educational programs for nursing staff on management of resident-to-resident elder mistreatment with the aim of preventing and reducing this abuse in residential aged care homes. BACKGROUND: Although elder abuse has received considerable attention, very little is known regarding resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in residential aged care homes and about interventions/programs to prevent and reduce this harm. Nurses play an essential role in identifying and managing aggressive interactions. However, many nurses may not recognize these behaviours as forms of abuse. Thus, it is important to ascertain if educational programs for nursing staff have been developed and implemented. DESIGN: Quantitative systematic review registered on PROSPERO (CRD42017080925). METHODS: A systematic search of English published studies between 1980 - 2017 will be conducted in CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsychInfo and Scopus. Risk of bias and quality of the studies will be evaluated by using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized studies. A meta-analysis will be performed, if sufficient homogeneity exists; otherwise, data will be summarized by using a narrative description. This study was funded in January 2017. DISCUSSION: Nursing staff should play a pivotal role in preventing and/or reducing resident-to-resident elder mistreatment. Therefore, it is important to identify available educational programs for nursing staff dealing with this abuse. Consequently, this review may provide evidence-based care for nursing staff to assist them in protecting older residents from experiencing abuse or being abused and in improving their well-being.