Guidelines for geriatric nursing education: Nursing students’ fear of old age, willingness to work with older individuals, and factors influencing them: A descriptive and cross-sectional study

This study aimed to explore nursing students’ willingness to work with older individuals, their fear of aging, and the factors influencing these perceptions, thereby providing insights to improve the content and relevance of geriatric education. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between April and May 2024. Participants included second, third, and fourth-year undergraduates in the Nursing Department at a university in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Of the 560 students in the department, 423 were selected using stratified sampling and participated voluntarily. The mean age of participants was 21.68 ± 1.73 years; the majority were female (74.2%) and from nuclear families (91.3%). Most students (70.7%) had not received geriatric nursing training, 54.4% had experience in caring for the elderly, and 87.0% had no elderly family members. There was no statistically significant relationship between the sub-dimension and total scores of the fear of old age scale and the willingness to work with elderly people scale (p > .05). Students with elderly care training reported higher perceived behavioral norm scores (Z = −3.409; p < .001). Developing positive attitudes toward aging and reducing fear of aging depend on the integration of theory and practice in nursing education. Experiential learning methods, such as role-playing, into the curriculum enables direct interaction with older adults. Such an approach increases students’ motivation for elderly care and contributes to the development of qualified and compassionate geriatric nurses for the future.