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

Abstract

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.

Curriculum, Theory, and Practice: Exploring Nurses’ and Nursing Students’ Knowledge of and Attitudes towards Caring for the Older Adults in Canada

“…Based on recent studies, nursing students had a positive perception of older adults and aging; however, most nurses possess negative attitudes concerning the characteristics and complexities that come with aging. There is a need for comprehensive training of nurses and nursing students on how to care for the older population, possibly in separate courses, to improve older individuals’ quality of life ( Attafuah et al, 2022 ). According to Alsenany (2007) , student nurses lack fundamental knowledge of aging, have misconceptions about caring for older people, and have little interest in working in long-term care facilities.…”

“…Based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory ( 1977 ), nursing instructors can inspire, encourage, and direct their students and empower them with the information and practices related to gerontology care through role modeling approaches. Deasey et al (2014) claimed that supportive instructions, encouragement, feedback, and recommendations from nursing educators about the practice of nursing students might increase their self-confidence, thus leading to positive older adults’ care experiences.…”

Educating the nurses of tomorrow: exploring first-year nursing students’ reflections on a one-week senior peer-mentor supervised inspiration practice in nursing homes

“…Although nursing students have positive [ 4 ], or moderately positive attitudes towards nursing older people [ 5 ], they generally do not see caring for older people as an interesting area of their future careers [ 6 ]. Students may lack the motivation to study and work in this field; therefore, it is necessary to increase the attractiveness of working within the gerontological nursing field [ 7 ].…”

“…This implies that faculties must emphasise the importance of having gerontological nursing knowledge and competences among nursing students right from the early years of training [ 11 ]. This may contribute to providing comprehensive education to nursing students and instil a positive attitude towards nursing older adult patients [ 7 ].…”

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

“…Following publication of the original article [ 1 ], we have been informed that the authors were incorrectly affiliated.…”