The Effect of Nursing Students’ Willingness to Work with the Elderly on Their Attitudes Toward Older Adults and Ethical Sensitivity

Abstract

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.