title: Recognition of elder abuse by Italian nurses and nursing students: evaluation by the Caregiving Scenario Questionnaire.
abstract: Elder abuse appears to be widely underestimated by health professionals. We aimed to evaluate the recognition of elder abuse among Italian nurses and nursing students related to their professional, personal experiences and socio-demographic characteristics. 193 nursing students and 76 nurses attending a post-graduate nursing management master's degree at the University of Bologna (Italy) completed the Caregiving Scenario Questionnaire measuring the ability to recognize elder abuse. Data on age, gender, previous professional and personal experiences as well as nursing school teaching were collected. Regarding abusive items, preventing elder's movements by putting a table over the elder's lap was identified by almost all participants, while locking someone at home was identified by half of them. Neglect was recognized by 25 % of nurses and 20 % of students, respectively. The majority of nurses and students correctly identified non-abusive strategies. Reporting being taught on elder abuse was inversely associated with a good performance in detecting neglect. Italian nurses' and nursing students' uncertainty in identifying abusive strategies, especially neglect, was consistent with results of previous studies in other countries. Standardized education in healthcare core curriculum, reference guidance and training are strongly needed to improve elder abuse recognition in Italy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 49, 40126, Bologna, Italy, susi.pelotti@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Susi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pelotti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Antone
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ventrucci
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mazzotti
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salsi
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dormi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ingravallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires