Willingness to work with older adults and related factors in nursing students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Given the increased demand for health professionals to work with older adults, research on the factors that influence students' career choices is critical in order to increase the popularity of gerontology. The purpose of this study was to investigate willingness and related factors of undergraduate nursing students to work with older adults. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 579 undergraduate nursing students in Turkiye. The data were collected using the descriptive characteristics form, the 12-item expectations regarding aging scale (ERA-12), Kogan's attitudes toward old people scale (KAOP), and willingness to work with elderly people scale (WEPS). Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used for data analysis. The WEPS, ERA-12, and KAOP mean score of the students were 68.57 +/- 11.54 (range: 20-120), 59.83 +/- 15.09 (range: 0-100), and 142.98 +/- 18.63 (range: 34-238), respectively. Expectations regarding aging, attitudes toward older adults, prior experience caring for older adults, and completing an elective geriatric nursing course positively predicted the total score of WEPS. These variables accounted for 14% of total variance of WEPS (R-2: 0.137, F: 12.995, p < .001). Age, sex, and academic year also positively predicted the total score of WEPS, but it was not statistically significant. The willingness of nursing students to work with older adults was moderate. To enhance nursing students' willingness to work with older adults, nursing programs should foster a positive attitude toward older adults and expectations regarding aging. Greater willingness of nursing students to care for older adults will eventually improve the quality of care for the geriatric population.