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International Journal of Tropical Medicine

Knowledge and Behaviour of Nurses Towards Care of Elderly Stroke Patients in Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Victor O. Adika, Rose E. Ezonbodor-Akwagbe, P.P.K. Joffa, Franco A. Apiyanteide and Bumieye Zuokemefa

Abstract: Care of elderly stroke patients remains a high priority agenda in many countries around the world as disability and death are common sequalae posing a public health menace for health service providers. This study was carried out among 100 nurses; it investigated knowledge as well as behavior towards care of elderly stroke patients. Specific objectives were geared to determine knowledge of nurses on elderly stroke patient care; behavior of nurses towards elderly stroke patient and to determine the relationship between nurses’ knowledge and behavior towards elderly stroke patient care. A descriptive survey design was employed for the selected nurses from the two main hospitals in Bayelsa State, utilizing convenient sampling method. Age range of the nurses was 20-65 years and mean age of 37.5 of whom 35% were males and 65% females. Result indicates that knowledge was moderate (50-69) to excellent (70-100) for 71% of the nurses and behavior was also moderate or good or acceptable (50-69) or very good to excellent behavior (70-100) for 86% of nurses. However, only a few nurses answered all the knowledge questions correctly and had doubt on the cure of stroke. Furthermore, there existed a relationship between nurses knowledge and behavior towards care of elderly stroke patient and being significant at p = 0.001, for p<0.05. There is the urgent need therefore, to properly tailor the knowledge and behavior of nurses for enhanced care of elderly stroke patients.

How to cite this article
Victor O. Adika, Rose E. Ezonbodor-Akwagbe, P.P.K. Joffa, Franco A. Apiyanteide and Bumieye Zuokemefa, 2012. Knowledge and Behaviour of Nurses Towards Care of Elderly Stroke Patients in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. International Journal of Tropical Medicine, 7: 74-79.

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