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BackgroundToday’s undergraduate nursing students will play a pivotal role in caring for the rising numbers of older adults and people living with dementia (PLWD). Because current nursing training does not require dementia care competencies, new graduates may not be adequately prepared to care for this population.ObjectiveThis study aimed to capture students’ interest and intention to work with older adults and PLWD as a career path, and elicit their feedback on how best to structure educational and clinical training offerings that would attract them to this field. Long‐Term care (LTC) settings blend clinical and residential features in a comprehensive setting uniquely suited for teaching nursing students about dementia. Hence, we evaluated students’ interest in enrolling in a new elective rotation, the LTC Externship.MethodsWe designed and administered a survey and conducted a focus group. The survey consisted of 20 questions modified from the Dementia Attitude Scale and eight questions related to respondents’ health care experience and attitudes about nursing care for older adults, comfort working with PLWD, and willingness to further develop geriatric and dementia care skills. Focus group enrollment was limited to the first 8 participants who expressed interest and completed preliminary questionnaires.ParticipantsFirst and second‐year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at the University of Washington School of Nursing (SoN).ResultsSeventy Six of 223 (34%) students responded to the survey. The majority expressed low interest in working with older adults, as evidenced by the low survey response rate, low self‐reported knowledge of nursing care for PLWD, and a lack of desire to work with older adults after graduation. Among the eight focus group participants, six expressed interest in acquiring additional knowledge and hands‐on learning opportunities. Participants identified three specific training components that could attract students to geriatrics and LTC education: weekly structured seminars that reflect the depth of relevant scholarship; access to interactive, relevant pre‐study materials developed by clinicians; and 4‐6 hours per week of supervised paid, clinical training in hands‐on skills.ConclusionsThe findings informed the development of a LTC Externship at the UW SoN that is currently being piloted and evaluated.