Abstract
The aims of this study were to explore Norwegian student nurses' attitudes towards older patients, their work preferences throughout their student years, why students choose/do not choose to pursue a career in geriatric nursing after graduation, and what changes students deem necessary for them to contemplate working within this field of nursing.
The students' attitudes towards older patients improved somewhat during college. While two students preferred to work with older patients throughout, five students changed their work preferences to geriatric nursing between their second and third year of training.
Reasons for choosing geriatric nursing were genuine interest in older people, and work satisfaction. Reasons for not choosing geriatric nursing were related to work conditions and their nurse's training. Improvements both in general work conditions and conditions related to professional work satisfaction were deemed necessary by these students for them to choose such a career after graduation.