Nursing with a heart: qualitative insights from Kazakh nurses in caring with older adult patients in acute care setting

Geriatric nursing care has become increasingly necessary as nurses have led the fight against the numerous health issues associated with aging. Despite nurses’ skills, they confront tremendous workloads, mental stress, inadequate training, and a lack of organizational support. Thus, this research aims to describe nurses’ practices in caring for older adults. This study used a descriptive qualitative design. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Twenty nurses participated in the study from December 2023 to March 2024. The analysis revealed that initially, 190 codes were developed, leading to 19 subthemes after the codes were grouped and clustered. Finally, four major themes were created after the subthemes were grouped according to context and meaning. The major themes are “Geriatric Care and Support,” “Challenges in Providing Geriatric Care,” “Impact of Providing Geriatric Care to Nurses,” and “Geriatric Nurse Skills and Qualities.” The study highlights nurses' difficulties and the necessity for structured training programs that enhance communication skills, emotional intelligence, and understanding of older adults. These insights may benefit nursing education, particularly in equipping students for exemplary care of the elderly.