A descriptive study of the attitudes of baccalaureate student nurses toward the elderly

摘要

Using a questionnaire entitled ‘Opinions about People', the attitudes toward ageing and the elderly of 70 students beginning and 21 students completing a 4‐year baccalaureate nursing programme were compared with the attitudes of 31 registered nurses entering a 3‐year university nursing programme. Thirty students beginning the 4‐year baccalaureate physiotherapy programme were included in the control group which also served as the pilot study. Findings revealed few significant differences between students entering a basic or post‐registration baccalaureate programme. The cross‐sectional comparison of students entering and completing a 4‐year university nursing programme indicated a significant difference on one of the seven attitudinal scales (family responsibility for the elderly). Results, implications for nursing education, conclusions and recommendations