Investigating Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Older Adults and Long-Term Care Facilities

The aim of this study is to investigate undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of the older adult and how these perceptions influence their interest or disinterest in working in geriatric care settings such as long-term care facilities. The study was performed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Rapid aging of the population across the world is a prevalent global health phenomenon. According to existing literature, there is a general disinterest among new nurses towards working in geriatric care settings. The needs of this population are distinct, and a strong workforce of passionate, skilled, and knowledgeable nurses is required to provide adequate geriatric care. In order to encourage a growth in this crucial nursing specialty, the reason behind the existing gap must be explored. A multi-method survey was sent to the UNC Bachelor of Science in Nursing email listserv regarding students’ perceptions of the older adult. 48 responses were determined to be usable for the purposes of this study (n=48). The responses were analyzed in order to draw conclusions regarding potential ways to increase interest in caring for older adults among nursing students. This paper argues that generating an increased understanding of geriatric care and respect for nurses working in geriatric care settings such as long-term care facilities are essential next steps to be taken by undergraduate nursing programs.Bachelor of Scienc