Attitudes of Turkish nursing students toward elderly people

An application of the reasoned action approach to clinical students' intention toward a career in geriatrics

Guided by the reasoned action approach, this study examined select individual, information, and social factors that influence intention toward pursuing a career in geriatrics among 314 clinical medical and nursing students in Ghana. A Poisson regression showed attitude toward older persons was a significant influencing factor of intention to choose a career in geriatrics for medical students (B = 0.015, SE = 0.0048, p = 0.002) but not nursing students (B = 0.009, SE = 0.0145, p = 0.512). Personal interest was, however, a significant influencing factor for both medical and nursing students (B = 0.462, SE = 0.0592, p = 0.000) and (B = 0.015, SE = 0.0048, p = 0.002), respectively. Nursing students with moderate to strong interest were 1.6 times more likely to express an intention to specialize in geriatrics, and medical students were 1.5 times more likely to express an intention to specialize in geriatrics. The results show that the most important factor influencing geriatric career intention is students' personal interest in the field. Evidence-based interventions such as early educational and practice exposure to the field and interactions with older adults are recommended.

Factors associated with nursing students' attitudes toward older people: A scoping review

Nursing students rate geriatric nursing poorly in career preferences, but aging populations mean more older people require access to health care. Negative attitudes held by nursing students can lead to ageism affecting the quality of care provided. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize research findings in the published literature relating to factors associated with nursing students' attitudes toward older people, and the tools used to measure these attitudes. The Joanna Briggs Institute guide for conducting a scoping review was used. Eleven databases and search engines were searched for international peer reviewed research articles published in English between January 2000 and February 2021. Sixteen articles were included in the review. This review highlights areas for affirmative action to improve undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward older people to prepare them to work effectively in future health care systems. Positive attitudes were associated with: senior years of study; professional values (caring, professionalism, trust); education regarding care of older adults; knowledge about aging; contact with older family members; comfort communicating with older people; and willingness to work with older people following graduation. It also identified the need for a current, nursing-specific measure of attitudes toward older people.

Investigation of Variables Affecting Attitudes of Emerging Adults Towards Older Individuals

Similar to other countries, the ratio of the older people in the total population and the number of studies in this field is increasing day by day due to the decrease in the fertility rate and the increase in life expectancy in the Turkish culture. The aim of the present study is to examine whether a number of sociodemographic variables and different sub-dimensions of empathy predict the attitudes toward older adults. A total of 143 undergraduate students, 111 (77.6%) of whom were women, who were in emerging adulthood (M. = 19.76 SD. = 1.37, range 18-24 years) were included in the study. The data was collected using a ‘Demographic Information Form’, ‘The Interpersonal Reactivity Index’, and ‘Kogan’s Attitude Toward Older People Scale’ and hierarchical regression analysis was performed. ‘Willingness to live with the elderly in the future’ (yes; β = 0.42, p < .001, no idea; β = 0.30, p < .001) and ‘being a woman’ (β = -0.19, p = .017) were associated with a more positive attitude toward older people. Moreover, when ''willingness to live with the elderly in the future' and 'being a woman' were controlled in the first step, it was found that high 'empathic concern' positively predicted the attitudes toward older adults (β = .20, p = .038). Partially consistent with the previous studies, these findings indicate that ‘gender’, ‘want to live with an older person in the future’, and ‘empathic concern’ are significantly related to the attitudes toward older adults.

Determining nursing students' attitudes and empathic tendencies regarding aged discrimination

PURPOSE

This study aims determining nursing students' attitudes and empathic tendencies regarding aged discrimination METHODS: A descriptive or cross-sectional study was conducted, using the basic empathy scale, ageism attitude scale.

FINDINGS

The findings indicate that the students have a mid-level attitude with respect to ageism. Higher levels of empathic approach indicates a downward trend in positive and negative ageism in students and an upward trend in the attitude of restricting the life of older people. The difference between living with the elderly and class and empathy, between gender and elderly attitude is significant.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nursing students' empathic tendencies affect attitudes towards the elderly.

Factors affecting nursing students' intention to work as a geriatric nurse with older adults in Turkey: A cross-sectional study

The need for nurses specialized in geriatrics continues to increase with the aging world population. However, nurses and nursing students mostly do not consider geriatric nursing as a possible career in nursing. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence such a career preference is crucial to encourage geriatric nursing. The current study is cross-sectional and aims to investigate nursing students' intention to work as a geriatric nurse with older adults and the factors influencing those intentions. A total of 688 nursing students enrolled in the second, third, and fourth-years of the Bachelor of Nursing program in two universities were recruited. Data were collected using a questionnaire form developed by the researchers and the Kogan Attitude toward Old People Scale. Results indicated correlations between the fourth year in the program, living with older adults, taking a separate course on geriatric health, experience in providing care for older adults, and evaluating geriatric nursing as a possible career in nursing (P < 0.05). Additionally, the study demonstrated that students avert from a career in geriatric nursing due to the lack of knowledge and skills and negative experiences during internships and practice. In conclusion, nursing programs should include courses designed to focus on gerontology to improve nurse students' willingness to work with older adults.

Relationship Between Gerontological Nursing Education and Attitude Toward Older People

BACKGROUND

Nursing students' attitudes toward older people affect the quality of care provided to the aging population. Although gerontological nursing has been delivered as a stand-alone course in Macao since 2008, Macao nursing students' attitudes toward older people have not been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

The purposes of this study were 1) to explore nursing students' background information and attitudes toward older people and 2) to examine the presence of relationships between these factors and gerontological nursing education in Macao, a special administrative region of China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Nursing students in Macao were invited to complete a questionnaire to record their demographic characteristics and gerontological nursing education and measure their attitudes toward older people using Kogan's Attitudes Toward Older People (KAOP) scale.

RESULTS

Data from 377 (83.04%) nursing students who returned the questionnaire were analyzed. The students were found to have positive attitudes toward older people, with a mean KAOP score of 168.44 ± 18.38 (mean ± standard deviation). In particular, the item with the lowest mean score was "older adults have excessive demands for love" (2.5 ± 1.2), while the item with the highest mean score was "older adults need no more love than others" (6.0 ± 1.0). The results also revealed that Macao nursing students' positive attitudes toward older people were associated with having "religion," "good experience in gerontological nursing taught course," and "good experience in clinical practice with older people," which were thus considered to be the predictors of their positive attitudes toward older people.

CONCLUSION

Religion and gerontological nursing education are associated with Macao nursing students' attitudes toward older people. A longitudinal study is needed to evaluate the gradual changes in nursing students' attitudes. Nursing students' future career choices and perceptions of gerontological nursing education should be explored in a future study.

The relationship between nursing students' professional values and their attitudes towards the elderly people: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Professional values involve standards that are effective in solving problems, interacting with patients, making decisions on patient care and forming the student's attitude. Throughout the course of the nursing students' occupational education, these standards shape their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding the provision of care for individuals.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between nursing students' professional values and their attitudes towards the elderly.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional research design was used in this study.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted at a university in the northeast of Turkey.

PARTICIPANTS

2nd-year (n = 93), 3rd-year (n = 101) and 4th-year (n = 81) nursing students.

METHOD

The data for the study were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Nursing Professional Values Scale- Revised (NPVS-R) and the Ageism Attitude Scale (AAS). In the data analysis, independent samples t-test, ANOVA and Spearman Correlation were used.

RESULTS

The study found that the nursing students' average total NVPS-R score was 86.4 ± 16.2 and their average total AAS score was 82.7 ± 8.8. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between the professional values of the students and their attitudes towards the elderly (r = 0.407, p = 0.000). A positive, moderately strong correlation was determined between the total NPVS-R scores and the 'restricted life of elderly people' and 'positive attitudes towards elderly people' sub-scales of AAS (r = 0.418, r = 0.317, p < 0.005, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The present study has demonstrated that the nursing students' professional values are associated with their attitudes towards the elderly. In the light of these results, it is suggested that professional values be taught and that courses on values be added to the curriculum in order to improve the attitudes of the students towards ageism.

Identification of nursing students' attitudes toward older people

OBJECTIVES

The present study aims to identify nursing students' attitudes toward older people.

METHODS

This descriptive study was conducted with 166 nursing department students enrolled in a four-year undergraduate programme in a university located in Eastern Turkey. The participants were chosen using convenience sampling method, and data were collected through the Descriptive Characteristics Form and Turkish version of Kogan's Attitudes toward Older People Scale (KAOPS).

RESULTS

It was found that the students participating in the study had positive attitudes toward older people, and the mean scores of those who wanted to work with older people after graduation were significantly high (p < 0.05). Scale mean scores according to receiving gerontology nursing course showed that there were no significant differences between the groups who received gerontology nursing course and who did not.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that nursing students' attitudes toward older people were positive. Cultural features of the region where the study was conducted are considered to have effects on this result. Impact statement: As nursing students will provide care to older people in the future, it is important to know and assess their attitudes towards the older.

Undergraduate nursing students and the elderly: An assessment of attitudes in a Turkish university

At times when populations are aging and nursing services for elders are needed, gerontology as a nursing specialty is not a highly sought career choice. The purposes of this study were to assess the overall attitudes of nursing students at a Turkish university toward the elderly and to identify the effects of demographic and social factors on attitudes. Using a non-experimental design, the Turkish version of the Kogan's Attitudes towards Old People (KAOP) Scale was given to undergraduate nursing students. Significant findings demonstrated that the older the student, the worse the attitude and that students willing to work with elders had significantly better total KAOP and better positive item scores than those not willing to work with elders. The findings support educational preparation as a major factor in shaping student attitudes. Geriatric education should be integral to nursing education to help ensure sustainability of nursing services for the elderly population.

Age discrimination in healthcare institutions perceived by seniors and students

BACKGROUND:

Old age-based discrimination is observed as the most tolerated prejudice in society and has also been witnessed in healthcare institutions.

AIMS:

The aim of this study is to explore age-based discrimination in healthcare institutions as perceived by seniors and students of Medicine and Nursing.

RESEARCH DESIGN:

A multi-method study design, by involving a triangulation design.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT:

A purposeful sample of individuals aged 65+ (n = 80) and medical and nursing students (n = 100) in the eastern region of Poland.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Ethical approval of the research protocol was received from the Ethics Committee at the Medical University of Lublin.

FINDINGS:

'Old age' was perceived by groups of participants based on three themes: (a) positive, (b) negative and (c) neutral connotations. The negative connotations predominated. The beginning of old age was defined by the metric of age and described by showing the complexity of the ageing process involving subjective, objective and societal aspects. Experience of age discrimination in healthcare institutions was reported by 24 (30%) seniors and witnessed by 47 (47%) students surveyed and for both groups occurred mainly at the hospital level and by physicians. Only 48 students (48%) declared a willingness to work with the older people in the future, and barriers were reported at the personal and professional levels, and also in some visions of older people.

CONCLUSION:

The conceptualization of old age as reported by seniors and students mainly carried negative connotations, reflecting the profoundly based stereotypes within society regarding the older people. Seniors have reported being exposed to ageism and have witnessed ageism episodes in HCIs; also, students have faced ageism episodes during their clinical education. There is a need for ethical education within medical and nursing courses to shape positive attitudes towards the older people. A positive vision of ageing should be promoted not only among young people but also among adults and older people to avoid self-stereotyping of older people and seeing old age from negative perspective.