Elderly are more prone to age related diseases and physical inability. Adequate health services for the ageing population are an urgent social need. Many nurses are not effectively prepared to care for aging individual. Hence, the study was undertaken in a selected hospital at Thrissur to assess the effect of geriatric care module on knowledge and practice among staff nurses. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of geriatric care module on knowledge and practice among staff nurses, to find out the correlation between knowledge and practice on geriatric care among staff nurses and to find out the association of knowledge and practice on geriatric care among staff nurses with their selected demographic variables. The design of the study was quasi experimental one group pre-test post-test design conducted among 30 staff nurses. Pre-test was done using structured knowledge questionnaire and structured self reported checklist for assessing the practice. After that, the researcher administered the geriatric care module and post-test was done after 7 days. The pre-test and post-test mean knowledge score were 15.6 and 36.4 respectively and pre-test and post-test mean practice score were 46.4 and 56.2 respectively. The result also showed no positive correlation between the knowledge and practice among staff nurses (r = 0.344, p = 0.063). Significant association was found only with the knowledge and the religion, number of years of clinical experience, educational qualification and types of family among the staff nurses. There was no association between practice with their selected demographic variables. Thus the study concluded that geriatric care module was effective.

Keywords: Staff Nurses; Geriatric Care; Geriatric Care Module; Knowledge; Practice.