Attitudes and intentions of baccalaureate nursing students toward the elderly

The primary purpose of this study was to develop instruments that reliably measure belief and behavioral intentions toward the elderly with control for social desirability set within the belief measure. Related purposes involved evaluation of the impact of a gerontologic nursing course on beliefs and behavioral intentions of nursing students toward the elderly. Data were collected over a three-month period from 153 volunteers in a baccalaureate nursing program. One group was tested both before and immediately after a gerontologic nursing course; three other groups were tested immediately, one, and two years after the course. A paired-comparison type belief scale and a multiple-act behavioral intention scale were developed and used in the study. The Kogan Old People and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scales served as outside criteria. Both new instruments were found to be highly reliable. An association between beliefs and behavioral intentions above the .30 level was found between scores on the behavioral intention and Kogan scales, but not between behavioral intention and belief scores.