J Nurs Acad Soc.  1982 Jun;12(1):1-12.

A Study on Nursing Students Attitudes toward the Elderly

• Kim EL

Abstract

Presently, there is increasing demand for geriatric nursing care due to increasing proportion of elderly population and extended age. And, of particular importance in determing the effectiven-ess of nursing care given to the elderly is the attitude of nursing personnel toward the elderly patient. This study was intendent to investigate the attitudes of baccalaureate nursing students toward the elderly, and to investigate any possible correlation between these attitudes and the following variables: the students' levels (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), their preferences for various fields of specialiaation in nursing after graduation, their clinical experiences with geriatri patients, their personal experience with elderly family members, their educational experience of the elderly's health problems and geriatric nursing, and their experience with relatives and acquaintances over 60 years of age. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compile basic data about the attitudes of nursing students toward the elderly in order to contribute to the improvement of geriatric nursing. The subjects for this study were 259 nursing students: 163 in the College of Nursing at E. Womains University., and 96 in the Department of Nursing in K. College, Data was collected from the llth of Sep., to the 8th of Oct., 1981, using the Tuckman-Lorge Attitude Questionnaire which contained 131 items excepting 6 items. The attitudes toward the elderly was scored by the use of mean and standard deviation. The relations between attitudes toward the elderly and six independent vairables were analysed by T-test. The results which were obtained are as follows: 1. The attitude score of nursing students was M=71.67 S.D-16.18. Nursing students agreed with 54.8% of the stereotypic statements, and they had stereotypic attitudes toward the elderly relatively. (P<0.01). 2. There was a significant difference between the attitudes of nursing students toward the elderly, and sophomores had a less stereotypic attitudes than juniors and seniors (P<0.01). 3. There was significant difference between the attitudes toward the elderly and the preferences for various fields of specialization in nursing after graduation, and nursing students those who wanted maternity fields had a more stereotypic attitudes than others (P<0.05, P<0.01). 4. There was no significant difference between the attitudes toward the elderly and the clinical experience with the geriatric patients (P>0.05). 5. There was no significant difference between the attitudes toward the elderly and the personal experience with elderly family members (P>0.05). 6. There was no significant difference between the attitudes toward the elderly and the educational experience of the elderly's health problems and geriatric nursing (P>0.05). 7. There was no significant difference between the attitudes toward the elderly and the experience with relatives and acquaintances over 60 years of age (P>0.05).

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Friends
Geriatric Nursing
Humans
Nursing Care
Nursing*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Students, Nursing*

Reference

1.김f 분. 1978. ). 노인들의국읍에대만태도조사연구: 대한간호학회지: 제8권, 제1 호. 85–98.

2.유측자. 1980. 노년기의의식구조에관한연구, 대할간호학희지, 제10권, 제2 호, pp. 대할간호학희지, 제10권, 제2 호. 95–113.

3.간호학희지제12권제1 호3. 이경식. 1978. 일자보건의표와지역사되간호작: 대한간호협회출판부. P.257.

4.이지영, 황경숙. 1978. ). 대학생의태도변화: 학생생활연구, 제14권: 이화여자대학교학생생활지도연干소. 48–66.

5.이윤숙. 1976. ). 노령자에대한연구동며여자대학교대학원석사학위논문(미간행).

6.이효재, 지순, 박민자. 1979. ). 한국저소득충노인생활에관한사회, 경제및공간문제연구, 한국문화연구원논총, 제34편.∗ 이화여자대학교출판부. pp.239–288.

7.최경옥. 1976. ). 노인간호에대한간호원의태도조사연구, 대한간호학회지: 제6 권, 제2 호. pp.1.

8.최순남. 1981. 노인복지, 1981 년도양성과정교재(I). 국립사회복지연4원. 415–444.

9.하영수역. 1977. ). 간호학원론, 이화여자대학교출판부Ρ.1. 65.

10.Benjamin I.F.1967. ). The role of the geriatric nurse in health maintenance. Geriatrics. Vol. 22(8):58–64.

11.Brunner ., Emerson ., Ferguson ., Suddarth . 1970. Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Lippincott Company, pp.43–47.

12.Burnside Irene M. (. 1976. Nuring and the Aged. McGraw-Hill Book Company, pp.11–12.

13.Calnan M.F.., Hanron J.B.1970. Young nurse-Elderiy patient, Nursing Outlook. Vol. 18(12):44–46.

14.Campbell M.E.1971. ). Study of the attitudes of nursing persomijei toward the geriatric patient, Nursing Research. Vol. 22:No. (2):147–151.

15.Davis R.W.1968. ). Psychologic aspects of geriatric nursing, American Journal of Nursing. Vol. 68(4):pp.802–804.

16.Dupuis Paemla H.1970. ). Old is beautiful. Nursing Outlook. 18(8):24–27.

17.Frenay A.C.1968. ). Helping students'work with the aging. Nursing Outlook. 16:No. (5):44–46.

18.Frenay A.C.., Pierce G.L.1971. The climate of care for a geriatric patient, American Journal of Nursing. Vol. 71(9):1747. 1750.

19.Gelein Janet L.1977. Improving distributive health carc for the elderly through ucmtinuing education for nurses. A systems approach to Community Health: Lippincott Company, pp.321–341.

20.Gillis M.1973. ). Attitudes of nursing personnel toward the aged, Nursing Research. Vol. 22(6):pp.517–520.

21.Goldfarb A.I.1964. Responsibilities to our aged. American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 64'No. 11, pp.78–82.

22.Gunter L.M.1971. Students'attitudes toward geriatric nursing, Nursing Outlook. Vol. 19:No.(7):PP.466–469.

23.Gunter L.M.., Miller J.C.1977. Toward a pursing gerontology. Nursing Research, Vol. 28'No. 9, Pp.212–219.

24.Kart C.S.., Metress E.S.., Metress J.F.1978. ). Aging and Health, Addison-Wesley publishing Company. 280.

25.Kayser J.S.., Minnigerode F.A.1975. ). Increasing nursing students'interest in working with aged patient, Cursing Kesearch. 24:No.(1):23–26.

26.Lowenthal Μϋίοη. and Others (. 195S. Nobody wants the incontinent, RN, Vof. 21, No. 1. 100–103.

27.Putnam Phyllis A.1974. Orienting the young to oldage. Nursing Outlook, Vol. 22, No. 8, pp 519–521.

28.Robb Susanne S.1979. ). Attitudes and intentions of baccalaureate nursing students toward the elderly, Nursing Research. Vol. 28:No.(1):43–50.

29.Schwab Marilyn. 1973. ). Caring for the aged American Journal of Nursing. Vol. 73(12):pp.2049–2053.

30.Tuctaan Jacob., Lorge Irving. 1953. ). Attitudes toward old people, Journal cf Social Psychology. Vol. 37:pp.249–260.

31.Wilhite Mary J.., Johnson Dale M.1976. ). Nursing Research. Vol. 25(6):430–432.