Factors associated with nursing students' attitudes toward older people: A scoping review.

Nursing students rate geriatric nursing poorly in career preferences, but aging populations mean more older people require access to health care. Negative attitudes held by nursing students can lead to ageism affecting the quality of care provided. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize research findings in the published literature relating to factors associated with nursing students' attitudes toward older people, and the tools used to measure these attitudes. The Joanna Briggs Institute guide for conducting a scoping review was used. Eleven databases and search engines were searched for international peer reviewed research articles published in English between January 2000 and February 2021. Sixteen articles were included in the review. This review highlights areas for affirmative action to improve undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward older people to prepare them to work effectively in future health care systems. Positive attitudes were associated with: senior years of study; professional values (caring, professionalism, trust); education regarding care of older adults; knowledge about aging; contact with older family members; comfort communicating with older people; and willingness to work with older people following graduation. It also identified the need for a current, nursing-specific measure of attitudes toward older people.

Psychometric testing of the Older Patients in Acute Care Survey (OPACS) in Australian final year nursing students.

AIM: To assess the internal reliability and validity (content and criterion) of the Older Patients in Acute Care Survey (OPACS) as a measure of nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding care of older hospitalized patients in Australia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHOD: A convenience sample of final year nursing students at an Australian university in October 2014 completed the OPACS (N = 191). Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, content validity using exploratory factor analysis and criterion validity using correlations between the OPACS and Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz and the Caring Efficacy Scale. RESULTS: Despite good internal reliability on both OPACS subscales, exploratory factor analysis of the 36 items representing behaviours and the 50 items on knowledge and attitudes failed to load strongly on their corresponding factors. Analyses of criterion validity suggested the OPACS scales are measures of attitude.