Knowledge and attitudes of nurses and nursing students about Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

With the global aging population, the burden of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasing, underscoring the critical need for competent AD care. While previous studies have explored nursing personnel’s knowledge of and attitudes toward AD, a comprehensive synthesis across diverse cultural and educational contexts remains lacking. To address this gap, this review aimed to comprehensively synthesize existing research on nurses’ and nursing students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward AD. Adopting a systematic review and meta-analysis design, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL from inception to January 2026. Two researchers independently screened eligible studies, extracted data, and appraised the methodological quality of included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Critical Appraisal Tool. A total of 33 studies were included, involving 5,880 nursing students and 4,519 nurses from 16 countries. Pooled mean knowledge scores were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.74) for nurses and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.67) for students. Pooled mean attitude scores were 5.02 (95% CI: 4.74, 5.30) and 4.78 (95% CI: 4.61, 4.95), respectively. The pooled mean scores indicate moderate-to-high knowledge and attitudes toward AD. However, further enhancement is likely needed. For students, increasing training frequency and integrating theory with practice may facilitate mastery. For nurses, establishing mentorship and peer education could foster a learning culture. Additionally, Virtual Reality simulations might serve as an effective empathy-building tool, potentially breaking cognitive barriers and translating theory into embodied experience, thereby improving attitudes toward AD care.