Gerontological competence and ageism attitudes among final-year nursing students: A cross-sectional study

With the global aging population on the rise, delivering high-quality care for older adults presents growing challenges. Assessing nursing students' attitudes toward aging and their gerontological competencies is essential for improving the future quality of care for older adults.

This study aimed to evaluate the gerontological competencies of final-year nursing students and their attitudes toward positive and negative ageism. It also examined the relationship between these variables to identify factors influencing students' readiness to care for older adults.

A cross-sectional descriptive design with a relational screening model was employed. The study sample consisted of 381 final-year nursing students. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Gerontological Nursing Competence Scale, and the Positive and Negative Ageism Scale.

The mean total scores were 165.62 ± 28.70 for the Gerontological Nursing Competence Scale, 44.33 ± 7.77 for the Positive Ageism Scale, and 36.90 ± 6.73 for the Negative Ageism Scale. A moderate, statistically significant positive correlation was observed between gerontological nursing competence and positive ageism (r = .508, p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that positive ageism was the strongest predictor of competence, explaining 28.6% of the variance (β = .453, p < 0.001). Negative ageism and other demographic variables were not significant predictors.

These findings highlight that nursing students' positive attitudes toward older adults are closely linked to their gerontological nursing competence. Integrating educational strategies that foster constructive perceptions of aging into nursing curricula may enhance students' professional preparedness and contribute to higher-quality care for the aging population.