Geriatric Nursing Education and Student Attitudes
Summary
Geriatric nursing education has become an essential component of undergraduate nursing curricula in response to the rapid global expansion of older populations. This field combines theoretical instruction on age-related physiological, psychological and social changes with practical training to develop competencies in areas such as dementia care, chronic disease management and promotion of mental well-being. Student attitudes towards older adults profoundly influence their career intentions and the quality of future care. While many cohorts exhibit generally positive attitudes, substantial variability exists linked to demographic factors, prior experience with elderly relatives and the design of educational programmes. Contemporary pedagogical approaches emphasise competency-based learning, empathy-building interventions and structured clinical placements in a variety of settings, including nursing homes and acute care wards. These strategies aim to address persistent recruitment shortfalls in aged-care sectors by nurturing both the motivation and skills required for high-quality gerontological practice.
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Geriatric Nursing Education and Student Attitudes publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in geriatric nursing education and student attitudes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Gerontological nursing: Nursing specialty centred on the health needs and well-being of older adults.
Empathy-building intervention: Educational activity—such as simulations or reflective exercises—designed to enhance empathic understanding of older people’s experiences.
Clinical placement: Supervised, practical training of students within real-world healthcare settings, including hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Competency-based education: Instructional approach that defines expected knowledge, skills and attitudes students must demonstrate to practice professionally.
Attitudinal scale: Standardised instrument used to quantify learners’ feelings, beliefs and predispositions towards a specific group or topic.
References
- Determinants of the intention to work in aged care: a cross-sectional study to assess gerontological nursing competencies among undergraduate nursing students. BMC Nursing (2023).
- The effects of empathy skills training on nursing students’ empathy and attitudes toward elderly people. BMC Medical Education (2018).
- Factors Affecting Attitudes towards Older People in Undergraduate Nursing Students. Healthcare (2021).
- Nursing students’ experience with clinical placement in nursing homes: a focus group study. BMC Nursing (2021).
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