|
|
Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Nursing
Notes
- Abstract:
- Background: The ever-increasing number of older adults in the population, many requiring specialized gerontological nursing care, demands a competent nursing workforce. Attitudes toward older adults are often negative, which adversely affect the desire to work with this population. The majority of graduate nurses who enter the workforce are from associate degree programs, many of which have minimal gerontological course content. If action is not taken immediately, the health care workforce will lack the capability to meet the needs of older patients in the future. Purpose: The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to examine the effect of a clinical gerontology course on first-year associate degree nursing students’ attitudes toward older adults; (2) to investigate the relationship between previous experience with the older adult and pretest attitudes toward the older adult; and (3) to determine the extent to which age, gender, and previous experience predict the change in attitudes toward the older adult after a clinical gerontology course. Theoretical Framework: Katz’s Functional Approach to the Study of Attitudes was used as a guide for the study. Method: A one group, pretest-posttest research design was used to determine if completion of a gerontological clinical course affected nursing students’ attitudes toward older adults. Results: Three hypotheses were tested in the study. Hypothesis 1 showed a moderate improvement in students’ attitude scores after completing the gerontology clinical course, a statistically significant finding (t (38) = 2.772, p = 0.009). Hypotheses 2 and 3 were not supported. Pretest attitudes toward older adults were found to be unrelated to types of previous experiences students had with older adults, and the clinical gerontology course was shown to work equally well on all demographic groups. Conclusions: The study results suggested attitudes toward older adults can be positively influenced by a clinical gerontology course that includes varied settings, evidence-based assessment tools, and opportunities for self-reflection. This research lends support for the development of varied and balanced gerontological educational approaches in associate degree nursing programs.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Barry University, 2013.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-84).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Deborah Pitcock Copeland. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- RT81.U6 C66 2013_CopelandDeborah ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- RT81.U6 C66 2013 ( lcc )
|
|
