The Effect of Nursing Students’ Willingness to Work with the Elderly on Their Attitudes Toward Older Adults and Ethical Sensitivity
Öz
Aim: This study aimed to examine the effect of nursing students’ willingness to work with the elderly on their attitudes toward older adults and ethical sensitivity, and explore relationships among these variables.
Material and Method: A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. The sample included 301 nursing students. Data were collected using the “Student Introduction Form,” “Willingness to Work with Elderly People Scale (WEPS),” “Kogan’s Attitude Toward Older People Scale (KAOPS),” and the “Ethical Sensitivity Scale Adapted for Nursing Students (ESSNS).” Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were used.
Results: The mean total score was 66.63 ± 8.06 for WEPS, 115.37 ± 8.71 for KAOPS, and 5.17 ± 0.17 for ESSNS. Willingness to work with the elderly showed a moderate positive correlation with both attitudes toward older adults and ethical sensitivity. Attitudes and ethical sensitivity also correlated moderately. Willingness was significantly linked to both attitudes and ethical sensitivity, explaining 35.0% of variance in attitudes and 27.9% in ethical sensitivity.
Conclusion: As nursing students’ willingness to work with the elderly increases, their attitudes and ethical sensitivity improve. This highlights the need for targeted education and awareness to better prepare them for geriatric care and enhance care quality.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Nursing student, Elderly, Attitude, Ethical sensitivity, Willingness to work
Etik Beyan
Ethical approval for the study titled "The Effects of Nursing Students’ Willingness to Work With Elderly People on Their Attitudes and Ethical Sensitivity" was granted by the Scientific Ethics Committee (Approval Date: 13.06.2023, Approval Number: 2023/04-08), along with the institutional permission from the nursing department of the university where the study was conducted. Prior to data collection, comprehensive information about the aims and scope of the study was provided to all participants, and written informed consent was obtained. Authorization to utilize the measurement instruments was granted by the original developers. Ethical standards consistent with the Declaration of Helsinki were followed throughout the study.
Teşekkür
We would like to thank the deceased all nursing students who participated in our study for their contribution to the studies.
Kaynakça
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