Factors Associated with the Intention to Work with Older Adults Among First Year Social Work Students in Israel

This study examined a model based on the Terror Management Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify factors associated with social work students` intention to work with older adults. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 375 first-year Israeli social work students was undertaken. Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were directly associated with this intention. Contact with older adults was related to anxiety about older adults, which along with anxiety about self-aging, was related to the TPB constructs. The model explained 63% of the variance of the students` intention to work with older adults.

What motivates students to pursue a career in gerontological nursing? The cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the CMGN questionnaire

Background

Career motivation toward gerontological nursing (CMGN) has been studied by various authors. It is essential to identify the influencing factors and guarantee that undergraduate nursing degrees provide adequate social and healthcare responses to the current demand for gerontological care. Objective: In the absence of a validated instrument to measure students' career motivation in geriatric nursing in our sociocultural context, this study aimed to adapt and validate the original questionnaire Chinese CMGN. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 316 nursing students were collected in May 2021. The cultural and linguistic adaptation process was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of Ramada-Rodilla and Beaton. A committee of experts was established to assess content validity. The CMGN questionnaire consists of 20 items divided into 2 subscales: "Expectancy" (6 items) and "Values" (14 items). To determine the psychometric properties, the following analyses were carried out: content validity (Aiken's V coefficient and Pearson's coefficient of variation), internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis and convergent and divergent validity). To verify the model once the parameters were estimated, we calculated the goodness-of-fit between the model and the data. Data analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows (IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS 27.0).

Results

A total of 316 nursing students were surveyed, of which 91.1% were women and the mean age was 21.61 ± 5.45 years (range: 18-56). The results indicate that the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were adequate in terms of content and construct validity. The internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha for both subscales was greater than 0.8. The AMOS results revealed that the final model fit statistics of CMIN/df (2.204), GFI (0.922), CFI (0.948) and RMSEA (0.062) indicated a satisfactory model fit. Finally, an original second-order model was obtained, resulting in the Spanish version of the CMGN (SV-CMGN) instrument. Conclusions: We developed a valid SV-CMGN questionnaire that is socially and culturally adapted to the Spanish context and is capable of measuring the motivation of nursing students toward a career in gerontological nursing, from the newest to the most experienced. This new version opens up the possibility of studying the phenomenon of motivation in other Spanish-speaking countries. Keywords: Gerontological nursing; Motivation; Students, nursing; Validation study; Surveys and questionnaires.

Evaluating the Working with Older Adults Scale with Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students

Background and Objectives

The ongoing workforce shortage in geropsychology requires continued efforts to understand the factors that influence whether or not students choose to enter this field. The current study builds on prior research by replicating the Working with Older Adults Scale (WOAS) model. Further, the scale was expanded to add professional attitudes, adultist concerns, and number of known professionals in the field of aging.

Research Design and Methods

Graduate students in clinical psychology (n = 117) completed the WOAS and new items as part of a larger survey of graduate students in an APA-accredited doctoral program. Structural equation modeling was used to first replicate the existing WOAS model and then expanded to include new antecedents in a second model.

Results

Results were largely similar to past research validating the WOAS, with the exception that Perceived Behavioral Control was not a significant predictor of Intention in this population. In the expanded model, new items improved the overall model fit and exhibited significant indirect paths to predict intention to work with older adults.

Discussion and Implications

These findings further validate use of the WOAS and expand scholarly understanding of the factors influencing the choice of a career in aging. Individuals positioned to encourage careers in aging may wish to address adultist concerns, explore attitudes about such careers, challenge unhelpful assumptions, and provide greater exposure and access to mentors in the field as part of recruitment efforts.

'I decided to attend to him because it's my duty': Student Nurses perception and attitude towards care of older adults

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Nurses perception and attitude towards an older patient can positively or negatively influence the quality rendered. As students under training, the views of this population needs to be sought and shaped to improve the quality of care the older patients receive. This is because life expectancy is on the rise. The study aimed to explore students' perception of ageing and their attitude towards care of the older adults.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

An exploratory descriptive design was used. Data form containing the sociodemographic attributes of the students and a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers in line with the literature. The participants interviewed were student nurses who had been in clinical practice for at least one semester. Four focus group discussions (FGD) were held.

RESULTS

Average age of the participants was 22.30 years. An equal number of males and females (15 each) were recruited to have a balance in gender. Students expressed that they saw the older adults as their grandparents so they try to accord them respect and care. However, older adults are perceived not receptive to nurses in training. The students stated that registered nurses neglected the basic care of older adults such as diaper changes, bathing, and feeding, and would rather beckon student nurses to attend to the older adults.

CONCLUSION

Gerontology as a stand-alone course is necessary for early years of training to give an in-depth education to nursing students and instil a positive attitude towards older adult patients.

Study of the attitudes and future intentions of nursing students towards working with older people: an observational study

BACKGROUND

Older people are increasing in the world leading to the fact that many nursing students will work in geriatric care setting. It was also reported the lack of knowledge and interest in working with older people by many nursing students. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the attitudes, wills, and intentions for the care of older people from nursing students.

METHODS

A sample of 383 students (mean age between 17 and 24; females: 76.2%) was divided according to the year. A questionnaire and three scales investigating the attitude for working with older persons (Kogan, Aday-Campbell, Nolan scales) were administered. Simple correlations across the three scales and the comparisons in means by year of graduation were reported.

RESULTS

Of the 383 students, 69.7% would take care of an older person, with the previous experience with older patients being the most important determinant in positive attitude of students in working with older people. The Kogan scale revealed a relatively positive attitude towards older people of the students involved; the Aday's scale a reasonable willingness to take care of the older people; the Nolan scale a fair intention. Aday's scale significantly correlated with Nolan's scale and with Kogan's scale as well as the Nolan scale correlated with the Kogan scale.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that the quality of care provided to older people is related to the attitudes of health professionals indicating that nursing educators should adopt effective strategies to increase and promote students' positive attitudes to older people.

Willingness and associated factors of working with older people among undergraduate nursing students in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The aging population has become a serious challenge for health care service and will lead to an increasing demand for nurses to work with older people. However, working with older people has always been an unpopular career choice among nursing students. This study aimed to further explore the willingness and associated factors of undergraduate nursing students to work with older people in China.

METHODS

A convenience sampling method was employed from May to July 2017 among undergraduate nursing students from a nursing school in Nantong China. Demographic data, the Chinese version of the Kogan's Old Person's Scale, the Chinese version of the Facts of Aging Quiz and the motivation questionnaire were used to collect data. A series of Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman correlation test and Ordinal logistic regression analysis were applied to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Of the 853 students surveyed, 38.1 % were willing to work with older people after graduation. Expectancy, interest, attainment value, cost, prejudice, whether they like nursing profession and whether they participated in elderly-related activities were the most significant predictors of the students' willingness to work with older people.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing students expressed a low level of willingness to work with older people upon graduation. Nursing educators have an important part in challenging students' stereotype of older people and inspire their career choice in caring for older people through both well-designed curriculum and elderly-related activities, and relevant education departments should actively optimize aged-related courses, strengthen professional ethics and gratitude education, and improve nursing students' sense of identity and mission in caring for older people, so as to improve their willingness to work with older people.

Predictors and priority of caring behaviours in intensive care units

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing number of studies addressing nurses' perception of caring behaviours; however, on the issue of quality of care, it is important to understand why nurses focus more on certain elements of caring than others, and this needs to investigate influencing factors on, priorities, and predictors of caring behaviours.

AIMS

The main goal of this study was to determine the predictors and priorities of nurses' caring behaviours in intensive care units to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional survey of nurses working in adult and pediatric ICUs in Iran. The participants were 470 ICU nurses from eight hospitals in Iran. Data were collected over 6 months in 2018 using the Persian version of "Caring Assessment Report Evaluation Q-Care"; "Determinants of Nurse Caring Behaviors"; and a demographic data form.

RESULTS

By broad descriptive and analytical analysis, thirteen items were recognized as predictors of caring behaviours. The most important individual predictors reported as "interest in the nursing profession," "moral obligation," and "job experience," respectively. The most important perceived nursing behaviours were, respectively, subscales of "accessible," "monitors/follow-through" and "explains/facilitates."

CONCLUSION

The results provide insight into new and context-specific predictors of nurses' caring behaviours. These findings suggest that nursing managers, besides selecting skilful staff for ICUs, may consider employing those of higher "interest in the nursing profession"; "moral obligation"; and "job experience." They, also, need to be aware that organizational culture, climate, and values have a great impact on the caring behaviours of nurses. This could help them to handle the complex issue of improving the quality of care more efficiently.

Nursing students' willingness to work in geriatric care: An integrative review

Aims

This integrative review aims to explore the willingness of nursing students to work in geriatric care over the past 10 years and to explore the factors influencing nursing students to work in geriatric care.

Design

An integrative review.

Methods

Studies investigating nursing students’ willingness in gerontological nursing work and related influencing factors published in English in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL between 2010–2020 were included. Data collected in April 2020.

Results

Twenty‐four studies were analysed. Most studies presented a contradictory or negative attitude about the willingness of nursing students to engage in gerontological nursing work. In most studies that rank the intention to work in nursing fields, gerontological care received the lowest or a relatively low ranking. The main factors affecting work related to gerontological nursing include prior experience caring for older adults, attitudes towards geriatrics, anxiety about ageing, clinical practice environment and living experience with older family members.

Facilitating students' interest in older people nursing: Gerontological nurse teachers under scrutiny

Having teachers who are knowledgeable and passionate about issues related to older people is crucial in enhancing nursing students' interest in older people nursing. However, whether such commitments and abilities are present among gerontological nurse teachers is unknown. This study therefore describes how undergraduate nursing students perceive their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities to facilitate students' interest in older people nursing. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of undergraduate nursing students (N = 331) in Finland. The data were collected electronically using the Gerontological Nurse Teacher Scale (GeNTS). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The students agreed that their teachers are knowledgeable and interested in gerontological nursing (M = 3.62, SD = 0.92) and demonstrate leadership in gerontology (M = 3.50, SD = 1.04). However, they were uncertain about how their teachers address students concerns about aging, promote gerontology careers, and the teachers' abilities in developing gerontological nursing practical training. Gerontological nursing teachers should make deliberate effort to promote gerontology careers by highlighting the incentives and possibilities for career advancement in older people nursing. Further studies are needed to find out if nursing students' perception of their gerontological nurse teachers is a predictor of students' interest in older people nursing.

Gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and influence on students' willingness in older people nursing: A cross-sectional, correlational survey

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have focused on identifying the factors hindering nursing students' interest in gerontology careers, whereas others have suggested interventions to promote students' interest in older people nursing. However, the role of a teacher is equally vital in shaping students' career preference.

OBJECTIVE

This study therefore explored students' perspectives of their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and its association with students' willingness to work in older people nursing.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional correlation study.

SETTING

Five Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland.

PARTICIPANTS

Undergraduate nursing students (N = 243).

METHOD

A self-administered survey using the Gerontological Nurse Teacher Scale (GeNTS) and the subscale (Willingness) of the Students' Interest in Nursing Older People Scale (SINOPS). Descriptive and inferential analysis were conducted using SPSS.

RESULTS

There was a moderate positive association (R = 0.25, N = 243, p = 0.000) between students' perspectives of their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and students' willingness to work in older people nursing. The teachers' abilities to develop gerontological nursing course most influence students' willingness in older people nursing (r = 0.26, p = 0.001), whereas their knowledge and interest in gerontology, least influenced students' willingness in older people nursing (r = 0.14, p = 0.025). Also, the teachers abilities to address students' concerns about aging, promote gerontology careers, and demonstrate leadership skills in gerontology all had a similar statistically significant moderate positive association (r = 0.23, p = 0.001) with students' willingness to work in older people nursing.

CONCLUSION

Faculty need to ensure that there is adequate personal with expertise in gerontological nursing to advocate for resources to establish a reputable gerontological nursing profile in nursing curriculum and to develop and sustain a positive attitude towards older people nursing among students and staff. A qualitative study is needed to understand the reasons behind students' ratings.

Preferences of nursing and medical students for working with older adults and people with dementia: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

A current issue in workforce planning is ensuring healthcare professionals are both competent and willing to work with older adults with complex needs. This includes dementia care, which is widely recognised as a priority. Yet research suggests that working with older people is unattractive to undergraduate healthcare students.

METHODS

The aim of this systematic review and narrative synthesis is to explore the factors related to healthcare (medical and nursing) student preferences' for working with older people and people with dementia. Searches were conducted in five databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINHAL, BNI, ERIC. Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted by two independent reviewers. A narrative, data-based convergent synthesis was conducted.

RESULTS

One thousand twenty-four papers were screened (139 full texts) and 62 papers were included for a narrative synthesis. Factors were grouped into seven categories; student characteristics, experiences of students, course characteristics, career characteristics, patient characteristics, work characteristics and the theory of planned behaviour.

CONCLUSION

Health educators should review their role in cultivating student interest in working with older adults, with consideration of student preparation and the perceived value of this work. There is a lack of evidence about the career preferences of students in relation to dementia, and this warrants further research.

Development and validation of gerontological nurse teacher scale

Several studies have advocated for having gerontological nurse teachers with special commitment to implement an aged-friendly curriculum, in order to facilitate student nurses' interest in gerontology careers. However, there is no existing instrument to assess whether gerontological nurse teachers possess such competences. This study describes the development and validation of an instrument for assessing the competence of gerontological nurse teachers. A total of 43 items categorized into seven constructs for the Gerontological Nurse Teacher Scale (GeNTS) emerged from the literature review in 2017. Experts (N = 19) then participated in a two-round Delphi feedback for content validity in May 2018. A pre-pilot study was then undertaken in October 2018 among undergraduate nursing students (n = 7) to ensure readability and understandability, followed by a pilot study on undergraduate nursing students (n = 196) for psychometric assessment. Based on experts' feedback and psychometric assessment, the final version of GeNTS consists of 33 items across five constructs namely: knowledge and interest; theoretical course and practical training development; leadership; gerontology career promotion and concerns about aging. The items are score on a five-point Likert scale from 1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree.

The Association Between Diabetes and Cognitive Function in Later Life

Introduction:

Although diabetes through several possible mechanisms such as increased microvascular pathology and inefficiency of glucose utilization during cognitive tasks can be associated with cognitive impairment, there is inconclusive evidence that shows elderly diabetic patients under therapy have higher cognitive function compared to their non-diabetics counterparts. The present study was conducted to elucidate the association between diabetes and cognitive function in later life.

Methods:

Data for this study, consisting of 2202 older adults aged 60 years and above, were taken from a population-based survey entitled “Identifying Psychosocial and Identifying Economic Risk Factor of Cognitive Impairment among Elderly. Data analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS Version 23.0.

Results:

The mean of MMSE was found to be 22.67 (SD = 4.93). The overall prevalence of self-reported diabetes was found to be 23.6% (CI95%: 21.8% - 25.4%). The result of independent t-test showed diabetic subjects had a higher mean score of MMSE (M = 23.05, SD =4 .55) than their counterparts without diabetes (M = 22.55, SD = 5.04) (t = -2.13 p<.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that diabetes was not significantly associated with cognitive function, after controlling the possible confounding factors.

Conclusions:

The findings from the current study revealed that diabetes is not associated with cognitive decline. This study supports the findings that long-term treatment of diabetes may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. This finding may provide new opportunities for the prevention and management of cognitive decline.

Compassion fatigue among nurses working in a long-term care facility: The Israeli experience

Nurses working in a long-term care facility could be at risk of developing compassion fatigue due to the nature of their work. In this descriptive, cross-sectional survey, we explored the level of compassion fatigue among nurses working in a long-term care facility, as well as the associated sociodemographic and occupational factors. In total, 103 nurses employed in various departments of a long-term care facility in central Israel completed the Hebrew version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale R-IV. Nurses scored moderate-high on the compassion fatigue (mean = 3.6, standard deviation = .5), burnout (mean = 3.5, standard deviation = .5), and compassion satisfaction (mean = 3.8, standard deviation = .5) scales. Older nurses scored lower on compassion fatigue, while nurses with higher qualifications scored higher on compassion satisfaction. In this study, we implicate that it is necessary to raise awareness about compassion fatigue, both in nursing education and training and in long-term care organizations. It is necessary to improve understanding of this phenomenon in order to help nurses acquire appropriate coping skills to address this critical issue.

Nursing curriculums may hinder a career in gerontological nursing: An integrative review

OBJECTIVE

To investigate what prevents undergraduate nursing students from choosing gerontological nursing as a career option.

DESIGN

This study utilised an integrative literature review, which allows the inclusion of previous studies with diverse research designs to gain a broader view of the reasons why nursing students do not choose a gerontological nursing career.

METHODS

An electronic database search of CINAHL (Ebsco), Scopus and Eric elicited 251 scientific peer-reviewed empirical studies, published from 2006 to March 2016 in English. After meeting the inclusion criteria, 97 qualified for closer examination. Following exclusion, the final analysis and synthesis included 21 articles.

RESULTS

Four main themes described nursing students' contributing reasons for not selecting gerontological nursing as a career option: socio-demographic factors; experiences, perceptions and knowledge about ageing; perceptions concerning the nature or status of gerontological nursing; and theoretical studies and practical education of nursing curriculum.

CONCLUSIONS

Lack of positive experiences with older people before and during nursing students' studies led to their disinterest in gerontological nursing as a career option. The nursing curriculum also reinforces the perception of modern nursing as technical, with more emphasis on acute and critical care. The findings emphasise the need to implement an age-friendly curriculum and have nurses that specialise in gerontology to serve as mentors and role models. It is important to assist nursing students in identifying the potentials for career advancement in terms of gerontological nursing. There is also a need for nursing faculties to liaise with other stakeholders to develop or improve upon the clinical atmosphere for nursing students during gerontological nursing placement.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Nursing faculties must review their curriculum to ensure that there is sufficient focus on the needs of older people within the curriculum for every student. Furthermore, respected role models who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about issues related to older people must teach gerontological nursing courses.