Nursing Students' Perceptions of Self-Determination in Elderly People

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare nursing students' perceptions of self-determination in elderly patients before and after clinical training in long term care institutions as a part of their course in gerontological nursing. A pre- post-test design was employed. The data were collected by questionnaires completed by students at one nurse education organization college in Finland (pre-test n +/- 120, response rate 95%; post-test n +/- 115, response rate 91%). The students' perceptions of elderly patients' self-determination were more positive after their clinical training period concerning to what extent elderly patients are able to control their treatment and what kind of support they received from nurses to exercise their self-determination. The students' perceptions remained stable concerning how important self-determination is to elderly patients, and how willing and knowledgeable they are about using their self-determination. Ethics teaching, together with high quality clinical training placements, should be assured early during nursing studies.

Research on ethics in nursing care for older people: A literature review

“…Two studies examined a sample of nursing students' perceptions of patient self-determination. 37,54 Some included several groups of informants. 4,9,12,22,28,38,53,54,60,81 Three studies focussed on nursing managers' perspectives on ethical values, dilemmas and decisions, 31,69,81 and two were about public and health care professionals' opinions about prioritization.…”

Career Preferences of Nursing Students

“…Söderhamn et al recommended that young students and male students be exposed early in their training to positive role models of geriatric care. Similarly, Välimäki, Haapsaari, Katajisto, and Suhonen (2008) found that clinical experience had a positive effect on perceptions of older persons’ involvement in their own treatment and the extent to which nurses support this involvement. Thus, these studies suggest that as nursing students progress through the nursing program and gain clinical experience, their views about working with older patients may become more positive.…”

How Many Sides Does a Coin Have? A Phenomenology of Filipino Nurses' Motivation and Attitudes Toward Geriatric Care

“…Numerous studies focused on identifying the attitudes of health care providers toward elderly people and elderly care (Mellor, 2007;Lovell, 2006;Söderhamn et al, 2001) in different loci such as the U.S. (Cozort, 2008), Sweden (Söderhamn et al, 2001), and Australia (Mellor, 2007). As indicated by the findings of these studies, health care providers have negative attitudes toward the elderly (Cozort, 2008;Valimaki, Haapsaari, Katajisto, & Suhonen, 2008;Lovell, 2006;Williams et al, 2006;Beling, 2004) and elderly care, particularly nurses (Söderhamn et al, 2001). However, little is known about the attitudes of nurses in Asia, particularly in the Philippines, which according to World Health Organization (WHO) is the largest exporter of nurses to foreign countries (de Guzman, Perlas, Palacios, & Peralta, 2007).…”