Nursing issues and concerns in the care of older persons in acute hospital care in the Republic of Ireland: a Delphi study

Having experienced the second highest population increase in the European Union, older people in the Republic of Ireland constitute 14% of the population (Central Statistics Office 2012). Older people, adults aged 65 and older, are at disproportionate risk of becoming seriously ill and requiring hospital care, whether it is in an emergency department, on a medical or surgical ward, or in a critical care unit (Landefeld et al. 2005, p. 111–117). They account for over 40% of the inpatient days in Irish hospitals, amounting to nearly half of hospital expenditures for adults. Nursing holds a prominent position in the delivery of acute care for older people. Mcalfatrick and Keeney (2003, p. 629) advised that nursing research is an essential element of enhancing care and for its successful implementation in practice, ownership and identification must come from clinical nurses. In the absence of knowledge of what the most substantive problems or questions are, nursing research efforts may be directed to areas of least priority. To date, no studies exploring nursing research priorities relating to the care of the older adult in acute hospital care in the Republic of Ireland have been conducted.