Factors Affecting Attitudes towards Older People in Undergraduate Nursing Students

"Elderly care through new eyes: Insights from Spain's future nurses" A phenomenological study

This study explores nursing students' perceptions of institutionalized elderly care, aiming to identify attitudes and biases that influence their academic and professional development in gerontological nursing. Conducted with 128 students across two campuses, this qualitative study utilized 15 focus groups for data collection. Five primary themes emerged through thematic and inductive analysis: Institutionalized Living, Stereotypes, Improvement Proposals, Exemplary Practices and Positive Observations and Educational Strategies and Person-centered Care Integration. Findings underscore the multifaceted nature of elderly long-term care settings, highlighting the prevalence of loneliness. Despite institutionalization's intent to mitigate loneliness, results suggest its effectiveness is variable, with a deficiency in social interaction opportunities. This underscores the imperative for comprehensive socialization programs. Additionally, integrating students into professional teams has been shown to foster positive interpersonal relationships significantly. Recommendations for enhancing care quality include personalizing living spaces, strengthening bonds between staff and residents, and enriching the nursing curriculum with advanced professional training.

Nursing and midwifery students' perceptions of the elderly in nursing homes: a metaphor analysis

BACKGROUND

Nursing and midwifery students' perceptions and attitudes toward older adults affect their behaviours, career choices and/or the quality of care provided to older adults after graduation. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of second year nursing and midwifery students toward elderly people staying in nursing homes through metaphor analysis.

METHODS

This qualitative study has used the phenomenological approach. The sample of the study consisted of 128 nursing and midwifery students by purposive sampling method. Students were prompted to complete a sentence to express their perceptions about the elderly living in nursing homes: 'The elderly in the nursing home is similar to … because …' Participants were required to fill in their responses in two stages, providing metaphors in the first blank and reasons for their metaphors in the second blank.

RESULTS

The results indicated that five main themes and 12 sub-themes were obtained from student metaphors: (i) needing help in meeting their needs (need for care and need for love); (ii) the emotional burden of a life away from loved ones (loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness); (iii) exhaustion at the end of the road (end, loss, and unproductive); (iv) holding on to life again (friendship and beginning); and (v) post-traumatic growth (strong and experienced).

CONCLUSION

Students should question how to create opportunities and increase interaction for the elderly in the age of changing and developing technology before graduation and should be trained as professional individuals who are willing for this purpose.

Attitudes Toward Caring for the Oldest-Old and Associated Factors

PURPOSE

To examine the knowledge, stress levels, and attitudes of clinical nurses regarding care for individuals considered the oldest-old (i.e., aged ≥80 years) and to identify related factors.

METHOD

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, data were collected via an online structured questionnaire survey administered to 128 clinical nurses.

RESULTS

Participants had low levels of knowledge about the oldest-old with hearing impairments or mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, delirium), and high levels of stress. Factors influencing attitudes toward the oldest-old were graduate or higher educational level (p = 0.002), ≥10 years of work experience (p = 0.049), and lower stress (p = 0.033). The explanatory power of the regression model was 18.1%.

CONCLUSION

Further research and development programs should aim to promote positive attitudes toward care for older adults among nurses and develop methods to reduce and better manage stress when caring for these individuals. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(6), 35-43.].

Nursing Students' Views on an e-Learning Activity About Health Promotion for Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

Nurses are graduating ill-prepared to work with older adults across care contexts. The education nursing students receive about older adults often focuses on managing illnesses rather than promoting health. To expand the education that nursing students receive regarding health promotion and older adults, we examined nursing students' perceptions of an e-learning activity on health promotion with older adults.

METHOD

We used a cross-sectional survey design. We included first-year baccalaureate nursing students (N = 260) at a Canadian university. Students were required to complete the module, but only those who wanted to participate in the study completed the survey (n = 167; response rate = 64.2%). We used a feedback survey to assess students' perceptions of the e-learning activity using four 5-point, Likert-type items. We also asked one open-ended question to solicit participants' feedback and suggestions for improving the e-learning activity. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean [SD]) were used to summarize participants' perceptions and demographic characteristics. Content analysis was used to explore responses to the open-ended question.

RESULTS

Participants reported that the module increased their knowledge about health promotion, as well as their perceptions and confidence in working with older adults. Participants also found the method of instruction interactive and enjoyable.

CONCLUSION

Our e-learning activity on health promotion was perceived by nursing students as helpful in sensitizing them to their role in promoting health among older adults. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(3), 19-24.].

"It´s like walking in a bubble", nursing students´ perspectives on age suit simulation in a home environment - group interviews from reflection seminars

BACKGROUND

Older persons with age-related and complex health problems will increasingly depend on care provision from nurses in their own homes. However, a barrier to quality care is ageism and nursing students´ disinterest in geriatrics. In addition, nurse education often falls short in preparing students for the complexity of geriatric care. Welfare technology (WT) is progressively implemented in home care to help older persons live at home despite their health problems. However, this process is intricate and requires acceptance and digital literacy among caregivers and older persons. Despite these challenges, nurse education can address and change negative attitudes through innovative teaching methods such as age suit simulation. Therefore, the study aims to describe nursing students´ experiences of age suit simulation in a home-like environment with WT and technical aids, and will reveal their perspective on ageing and providing care to older adults.

METHODS

A qualitative explorative design using semi-structured group interviews (n=39) among nursing students. Data was analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The analysis generated three main themes; "It's like walking in a bubble", "An eye opener" and "Concerns about ageing and the current structure of geriatric care". The main themes included eight subthemes. Adapting to the sensory and physical limitations of the age suit was an immersive experience and caused feelings of frustration, loneliness and disconnection. A prominent result was a raised awareness of cognitive loss, especially impaired vision, and students felt the simulations had made them aware of the everyday challenges older persons faced. Students highlighted the importance of patience and giving enough time in care situations by being present and having a critical perspective of WT. The students were mostly negative towards their own ageing and could better relate to older persons´ vulnerability.

CONCLUSIONS

Age suit simulation was described as an embodied and eye-opening experience, raising nursing students´ awareness of older persons´ functional limitations and the consequences for dignity and independence. Coping with cognitive loss was especially difficult. Students were motivated to apply their new knowledge to clinical practice. Age suit simulation can complement geriatric education, preparing students for the complex care needs of older persons.

Nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward older adults

Nursing students, as the future healthcare workforce, hold immense potential in providing quality care to older adults and becoming advocates for promoting aging and public health, thus contributing significantly to addressing the multifaceted challenges of our aging society. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes about aging affect health care quality. Negative and unattractive representations of the social problems associated with aging contaminate nursing students' attitudes. Nursing schools are challenged to develop new curricula to prepare future nurses for the inherent complexity of an aging society. This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward older adults and identify the variables that can influence these attitudes. Quantitative research was carried out through the application of an online survey using a cross-sectional descriptive research design. A total of 182 nursing students completed the online survey. Progression in the nursing course was statistically significant; the more students advanced, the more positive attitudes and knowledge they revealed about aging; 39% of students have daily contact with their grandparents; however, only 14.8% would like to work with older adults. Multiple linear regression revealed that the most important factor for positive attitudes and knowledge about aging was regular contact with grandparents, followed by progression in the nursing course. The students' age was not a significant factor in improving attitudes or expanding knowledge regarding older adults. In a multidimensional logic, the deepening of knowledge about aging and the socialization of students with older adults are central factors that should reinforce curricula in nursing education.

The Role of an Exoskeleton Simulation of Senescence in Health Sciences Education

Background

Education in the formation of human capital in health constantly presents challenges. New tools in the emerging contexts may strengthen empathic attitudes. We developed an educational intervention that included a senescence simulator and assessed its impact on perception and attitudes in healthcare students.

Methods

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted that assessed acquired knowledge and self-perception using a semistructured survey administered before and after the demonstration and intervention using the simulator and reported the experience through the role of the patient and caregiver. The data were analyzed statistically to identify the demographic characteristics and differences between the groups of students. The data were analyzed statistically to identify the demographic characteristics and differences between the groups of students in the responses pre-post intervention, using statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0).

Results

Of the 256 participants surveyed before the intervention, 93.8% described cognitive deterioration as a significant disability and 53.1% considered the health system to be inadequate in meeting the needs of older individuals. Only 59.8% stated that the current academic training meets the educational requirements for the care of the elderly. In total, 98.9% of the participants reported that the simulator changed their perception by increasing their empathy. In total, 76.2% showed greater sensitivity to older adults and 79.3% reported that the experiential learning consolidated their professionalizing perspective. Among the younger participants (aged 18-20 years), sensitivity and reorientation toward pursuing an associated graduate degree were higher after the intervention (p=0.01).

Conclusions

Educational strategies, such as the senescence simulator, offer an experiential intervention that strengthens the knowledge and attitudes toward older individuals. During the pandemic emergency, it proved to be a useful educational strategy in consolidating caring behavior as a hybrid educational tactic. The senescence simulation enabled the participants to widen their educational and professional schemes to encompass the care of the older population.

What influences dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults? A scoping review

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the literature to evaluate dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses/PRISMA guidelines to identify articles from four electronic databases: MEDLINE via the PubMed interface, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and AgeLine. Gray literature searches were also performed in Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses-Health and Medicine.

RESULTS

Eleven articles were assessed. The majority (72, 72%) were published between 2011 and 2020, evidencing various contexts of dental students, such as different countries and cultures, and levels of education. The most commonly used tool/instrument to survey dental students' attitudes was the Aging Semantic Differential Scale. Student age, race, and marital status did not seem to interfere with dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Dental students tend to have a positive attitude toward older people. In this context, female students, students who interact with older people, and clinical students have more positive attitudes than male and nonclinical students.

Ageism and nursing students, past or reality?: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to summarise and update existing knowledge about ageism among nursing students through the following research question: what is the perception and attitudes of ageism among student nurses?

DESIGN

A systematic review of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of ageism in nursing students was carried out.

DATA SOURCES

The literature search was conducted in the scientific databases Pubmed and Scopus in February 2021.

REVIEW METHODS

After the screening process, 22 studies meeting the selection criteria were selected; 8 more were identified after manually searching the selected paper' reference lists. A total of 30 studies were included in the review. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists for Analytical Cross-Sectional studies and for Cohort Studies were used to appraise the articles' quality.

RESULTS

There was large variability in the manifestation of ageism among student nurses, as well as in the instruments used for assessment. Most of the articles analysed attitudes towards old age, the majority of which were positive. Being a female student, being on the final year of study and having regular contact or cohabitation with an older adult were three of the main determinants in the expression of positive attitudes towards the elderly.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that student nurses generally have positive attitudes towards old age, although ageist beliefs and discriminatory behaviours were identified and should be studied in greater depth. Training programs for future care professionals have a responsibility to educate from a non-stereotypical perspective based on current societal needs.

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.

Attitude towards Older People According to Sociodemographic and Educational Variables in Students of a Chilean University

Current evidence suggests that attitude towards older people may be associated with sociodemographic and educational variables; hence, a positive attitude towards older people is key when training new university professionals. However, there is little evidence of this association in Chilean university students. The objective was to analyze students from a Chilean university's attitudes towards older people, according to sociodemographic and educational variables. Analytical and cross-sectional study; 515 students from a Chilean university were consulted online about their attitude towards older people using Kogan's Attitudes towards Old People scale. Additionally, sociodemographic and educational variables were recorded. The average score for positive attitude was 70.8 (±9.7), while the negative attitude score was 68.3 (±11.6). The total score was 139.1 (±16.6). Mostly, university students perceive themselves with a low-level positive attitude (61.2%). Additionally, older university students (26-42 years old); women; Chileans; students of law, speech therapy, and occupational therapy; students in their final years of the programs; and those who had training in older people outside the university have a more positive attitude towards older people. In Conclusion, a profile of sociodemographic and educational characteristics of students with a lower and higher attitude towards older age was investigated. These results are relevant since the way of seeing the aging process could regulate the training of future professionals and consequently generate changes in dealing with older people. Young people's perception of ageing would affect the treatment and incorporation of the older people in society and the adaptation of policies in this age group.

Attitudes toward older people among nursing students in Greece

BACKGROUND

The age profile of the population has shifted globally. Age discrimination has been documented, particularly in the areas of health and employment.

AIM

This study aims at examining nursing students' attitudes toward older people and dehumanization of older people among nursing students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was employed in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data, which included a sociodemographic variables questionnaire, the Kogan's Attitude towards Old People Scale (KAOP) scale, a modified version of the Human Nature & Human Uniqueness Scale, the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire. A total of 410 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study. Descriptive statistics were applied while inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation, and regression analysis with the stepwise method were also performed. The significant level was set as p ≤ .05. SPSS-25 was used for the analysis of data.

RESULTS

The total mean score of the KAOP scale was 128.84 ± 14.32, indicating that nursing students had a slightly positive view of older individuals. Nursing students scored higher on the mechanistic dehumanization scale than on the animalistic dehumanization one. A strong negative association was found between Mechanistic and Animalistic dehumanization with the KAOP scale and empathy. Year of study, age, and gender were identified as predictor variables for mechanical dehumanization.

CONCLUSION

Personality traits, demographic variables, and nursing students' level of empathy are factors that influence their views about older people and the dehumanization of older people.

Caring for the Elderly Enhances Positive Attitudes Better Than Knowledge in Nursing Students

Background and Objectives: There is a growing interest in the measurement of attitudes towards older people in healthcare professionals, as there is a need to implement interventions to improve ageist attitudes. A one group pretest–posttest study was carried out to explore the change in nursing student attitudes towards the elderly during their university careers. Materials and Method: A total of 97 nursing students were enrolled. Attitudes were analyzed using Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People Scale. Results: The attitude was positive from the beginning of the study, with a score of 110.06 (12.92). No differences were observed after completing the subject “Care of the elderly” (106.21 (10.77)), though a significant increase was recorded after the completion of clinical placement (142.88 (12.64)), with a large effect size (η2p = 0.754). The score of the positive items was significantly increased, but not that of the negative items, as ageist attitude was not reduced. Conclusion: The current curricular design, that includes taking the theoretical course before clinical placement in the geriatric area, increases positive attitudes in nursing students but does not reduce ageist attitudes.

Transition from Nurses to Medicalized Elderly Caregivers: Comparison on Willingness between Traditional and Modern Regions in China

As China is transitioning to an aging society, the Chinese government has proposed an eldercare pattern, called medicalized elderly care, to help solve the rapid aging and health care problems together. However, the shortage of elderly caregivers is a critical issue, with deficiency both in quantity and quality. This study aims to survey nurses' willingness to transition into medicalized elderly caregivers and compare it between modern and traditional regions. Nurses working in Guangdong (modern region) and Jilin (traditional region) were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire in October 2021. We analyzed the influencing factors through χ²-test, t-test a and binary logistic regression model and further explored the influence of region using propensity score matching (PSM). A total of 1227 nurses were included, with 726 (59.2%) of them showing willingness to transition. Nurses from traditional regions showed a significantly higher willingness to transition after PSM (p = 0.027). Other factors influencing nurses' willingness were age, education, lived with older adults, participated in voluntary activities related to older adults, visited eldercare institutions, attitudes toward older adults, knowledge about older adults, hospice care attitudes and death attitudes. The willingness of nurses to transition was not high enough. To have more willing and skillful human resources for eldercare, we need a more "intimate society for older adults" in the first place.

Empathy as a Factor Conditioning Attitudes towards the Elderly among Physiotherapists-Results from Poland

Attitudes of healthcare workers towards the elderly significantly affect the quality of care dedicated to this group of patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the approach of Polish physiotherapists to the elderly and to analyze the factors influencing these attitudes. The study was based on a cross-sectional Internet-based survey that was conducted in the period from May to September 2021. It was completed by 252 subjects: 189 women and 63 men. The study was based on the involvement of physiotherapists with the right to practice their profession in accordance with the law in force in Poland. The tools used in the study were The Kogan Attitudes towards the Elderly (KAOP) score and The Jefferson Empathy Scale (JSE). To model the KOAP score as a function of the predictors, Bayesian linear regression was used. The average KOAP score in the sample was M (SD) = 100.7 (17.46), with the central 50% of the observations ranging from 81 to 113 points. We observed one statistically credible relationship: relevance of contacts with elderly people was positively and moderately related to KOAP. Additionally, we observed that the JSE scale was positively, but very weakly, associated with KOAP. Empathy and own experience of health care providers may protect against negative attitudes towards the elderly, meaning empathy in healthcare professionals is crucial.