Student nurse knowledge and attitudes about ageing, older people and working with them: Does nursing education make a difference?

Abstract

Aim: The ageing of the population requires student nurses to be adequately prepared to provide a range of care to older people across a variety of care settings. This study involved the development, implementation and evaluation of educational interventions that focus on student learning in relation to knowledge and attitudes about the ageing process, older people and working with them. Study setting and participants: This study was conducted within a school of nursing in New Zealand and included undergraduate students from a Bachelor of Nursing programme across a four year period from 2011 to 2012. Study design: A multiphase mixed methods longitudinal design was employed to address the aims of the research. Methods: Phase I of the study employed a multimethod approach, including focus groups, a baseline survey questionnaire and an analysis of course documents. The findings from this phase informed phase II of the study, which involved the design of four educational interventions that were implemented within the undergraduate nursing programme. The interventions incorporated a blend of didactic and experiential learning opportunities. The third and final phase of the research involved an evaluation of the impact of these educational interventions on knowledge and attitudes using longitudinal quantitative survey data and qualitative student focus group data. Findings: The findings revealed that student knowledge and attitudes towards the ageing process, older people and working with them shift in a positive direction during nursing education. The qualitative findings also offer valuable insights into the student experience of how nursing education impacts on knowledge and attitudes in relation to ageing, older people and working with them. Conclusions: This study concludes that nursing education can be a valuable window of opportunity for facilitating the development of the necessary capabilities and in particular, the positive attitudes and knowledge, required by graduating nurses to meet the health needs of the ageing population.