Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Older Adults After Their First Intentional Encounter: A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study.

AIM: This study examined how intentional first encounters as a nursing student, as well as prior relationships with older adults, influenced baccalaureate prelicensure nursing students' attitudes toward this population. BACKGROUND: There is a growing demand for knowledgeable and skilled nurses to provide person-centered care to an aging population. An ongoing challenge is lack of interest in practicing within gerontological settings following graduation. METHOD: A cross-sectional, correlational, comparison research design was used. Ninety-nine nursing students in five groups were recruited from six baccalaureate prelicensure nursing schools. RESULTS: A one-way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference among groups, F(4, 94) = 4.873, p = .001. Students completing clinical in half-semester acute care and long-term care (M = 64.03, SD = 16.9) had better attitudes than students in other clinical experiences. CONCLUSION: Addressing the development of positive attitudes in nursing students remains imperative to promote person-centered care to the aging population.