Learning What Matters: Students' Reflections on Age-Friendly Care in Nursing Homes

To describe second-year nursing students' perception and clinical learning experiences related to the Age-Friendly Care 4Ms Framework.

A qualitative exploratory study using inductive thematic analysis of student-generated clinical reflections and course artifacts was performed. Data were coded independently by researchers and synthesized into themes to ensure analytic rigor and accuracy.

Five themes emerged and included Challenging Assumptions, Upholding Dignity and Personhood, Communication and Connection, Staff Engagement and Family Involvement, and Shared Humanity.

Integration of the 4Ms Framework into early clinical education fostered empathy, critical thinking, and professional growth. Students' perceptions evolved toward person-centered care and highlighted the richness of nursing home experiences in shaping professional identity. Embedding structured, age-friendly clinical experiences in nursing education can shift attitudes, enhance communication skills, and better prepare students to work effectively with older adults living in nursing homes.