Exploring Knowledge and Attitudes about Older Adults in Advanced Practice Nursing Education

Purpose:  

Knowledge about normal aging, and conditions common to older adults, is often both lacking and not seen as interesting or compelling. In addition, attitudes about older adults, whether the result of inherent age bias or real experience, may impede their quality of care as well as quality of life.  This ongoing study explores the relationship between required gerontology curriculum content and measures of knowledge and attitudes about aging in advanced practice nursing students.   

Methods:

Standardized measures (Facts on Aging Quiz; Attitudes Toward Old People Scale)  and a demographic questionnaire,  are conducted pre- and post-graduate program content. An individual analysis of each  student’s clinical experience and academic topics is conducted.  

Results:

Changes in knowledge and attitude about aging correlate positively with participation in specific curriculum content and experiences.

Conclusion:

Educational content and clinical experience related to aging are essential to address gaps in knowledge and attitudes among graduate nursing students.