Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults is increasingly recognized as a critical transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, with global prevalence estimates approaching one in five older persons and even higher rates in hospital settings. Elderly inpatients with MCI often present with multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and subtle behavioural or functional changes that complicate nursing care, yet most hospital systems are organised around acute disease rather than cognitive vulnerability. Nurses in medical units are at the frontline of assessment, monitoring, communication, and coordination of care for these patients, but evidence from dementia and broader cognitive-impairment literature suggests that they frequently experience heavy workloads, communication barriers, emotional strain, and limited organisational support. This descriptive cross-sectional research aimed to identify the challenges faced by nurses in caring for elderly patients with MCI admitted to medical units in a tertiary care hospital. A total of 150 registered nurses working in adult medical wards were recruited using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected with a structured self-administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic and professional variables, an MCI-specific care difficulties scale adapted from prior cognitive-impairment and dementia-care instruments, and subscales for workload, communication difficulty, and perceived organisational support. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were used to analyse data at a 0.05 significance level. Nurses reported high levels of difficulty related to recognising early cognitive changes, managing fluctuating orientation, communicating effectively during busy routines, preventing adverse events such as falls and delirium, and involving families in shared decision-making. Higher challenge scores were significantly associated with fewer years of experience, absence of previous training in cognitive-impairment care, higher perceived workload, and lower organisational support. The findings highlight the need for targeted education on MCI, person-centred communication strategies, systematic screening, and organisational interventions that reduce workload and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. Addressing these domains may improve safety, continuity, and person-centredness of care for hospitalised older adults living with MCI while also supporting nurses’ well-being and professional satisfaction.