Aging, Attitudes Nursing, students, Old people

The aim of the cross-sectional study was to assess attitudes of nursing students towards the elderly and to determine whether they are influenced by their age, field, type and current year of study. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The research sample comprised 459 nursing students (nursing assistants, and nursing students on a bachelor's and master's degree course). To collect data we used the Kogan's Attitude towards Old People Scale (KAOP) which is designed to measure attitudes toward the elderly. Good psychometric properties were found in the Czech version of KAOP (Cronbach alpha > 0.7). Results: The attitudes towards the elderly were quite balanced; 55% of nursing students reported a slightly positive attitude and 42 % demonstrated a slightly negative attitude toward the elderly. The highest KAOP score was recorded in students on the master's degree course. A statistically significant difference was found in students' attitudes towards the elderly according to their level of education (p < 0.01) and age (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Nursing education should include programs and interventions focusing on improving attitudes of students towards the elderly and their motivation for working with them. © 2019 Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery.