Changing Nursing Students' Attitudes About Aging: An Argument For The Successful Aging Paradigm

摘要

Ageism retards recruitment of healthcare professionals to work with older adults. Negative attitudes toward older adults were found in surveying four colleges of nursing (N = 117). Curriculum enhancements at one of the colleges used successful aging as an organizing framework, developed faculty as aging specialists, and required coursework and clinical experiences with healthy and frail older adults. Factors relevant to successful aging of older adults were compared with results of a second survey two years later. Seniors' views reflected the successful aging paradigm and were generally congruent with older adults' views expressed in the literature.