Roles of knowledge and attitude in the willingness of nursing students to care for older adults in Hong Kong

Abstract

Due to the ageing population, nursing students will be more likely to work with older adults after graduation. It is important to assess whether Hong Kong nursing students are well prepared to care for older adults. A convenience sample of 139 nursing students was surveyed using questionnaires: Palmore’s Facts on Ageing Quiz (FAQ), Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People scale (KAOP), and the Willingness to Care for Older People (WCOP) scale to assess the knowledge of and attitudes toward older adult care, and willingness to care for older adults, respectively. The overall score in the FAQ was medium-low (mean = 15.1, SD = 2.8). The KAOP score was medium-high (mean = 121.6, SD = 12.0). The willingness score was slightly high (mean = 5.2, SD = 1.1). Positive attitudes and knowledge about ageing are the predictors of nursing students’ willingness to take care of older adults. The findings provide evidence to nurse educators and clinical mentors that (a) courses providing knowledge about ageing are valuable, and (b) elements that cultivate positive attitudes towards older adult care should be included in curricula. Nursing curricula that provide knowledge and experience about older adult care play a pivotal role in creating a workforce of nurses ready and willing to care for the ever growing number of ageing adults.