Knowledge, mental representations, and nursing practice in relation to urinary incontinence: A survey of Geneva’s University Hospital

Research
By Véronique Gogniat, Anne-Claire Rae, Marie-Andrée Séraphin, Aluisia De Rosso, François R. Herrmann
English

Introduction: This article presents the results of a survey led by senior nurses at Geneva’s University Hospital in 2007, in the acute and long-term care units. Aim: The aim was to identify obstacles and nursing resources available for patients with urinary incontinence (UI) in order to improve their care. Method: A questionnaire was sent to 3,300 health care professionals: doctors, nurses, midwives, and auxiliary nurses, with a response rate of 55%. Results: Health care professionals have incomplete knowledge about UI, but their mental representations of UI are not an obstacle to care. In their practice they use few assessment tools and specialized health care professional are rarely consulted. Conclusion: Current measures for improvement aim to make resources in UI more visible, develop practice guidelines, and offer specific training.

Key words

  • urinary incontinence
  • knowledge
  • mental representation
  • practice
  • attitude of health personnel
Go to the article on Cairn-int.info