Background: Japanese nursing students who lack nursing practicum experience tend to exhibit more ageism than those who have these experiences (Sano, 2011). Morino (2018) noted that gerontological nursing education programs may influence ageism and the perception of restraint use among nurses. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a gerontological nursing program can lower ageism among nursing students and increase their awareness surrounding restraint use. Methods: This was a questionnaire-based longitudinal study. Prior to taking gerontological nursing classes, first-year students were asked to complete the Japanese version of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (J-FSA) and the Japanese version of Perceptions of Restraint Use Questionnaire (J-PRUQ). The gerontological nursing program at X University consists of four lectures and three weeks of nursing practicum. Upon completion of the program (in their third year of school), students were asked to complete the same questionnaire. Findings: A total of 57 nursing students completed the questionnaires. Mean student age was 20.81 years (SD = 0.74), while mean age of elderly patients assigned to the students was 82.77 years (SD = 7.43). The paired-sample t-test showed significant changes in the J-FSA before and after program completion (t (56) = 7.42, p < 0.01). The paired-sample t-test for the J-PRUQ, however, showed no significant changes (p = 0.31). Conclusions: Although undergraduate nursing students who completed the gerontological nursing program at X university exhibited significantly lower ageism, their perceptions on restraint use were not affected by completing this educational program.
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