Undergraduate Student Attitudes Toward and Interests in Working With Older Adults: An Exploratory Study of Nursing and Social Work Majors

Abstract

As the world’s population ages, the demand for competent and skilled workers to assist older adults is rapidly increasing. An exploratory study that surveyed undergraduate nursing and social work majors at a university in the northeast (N = 89) revealed that nursing students had fewer stereotypical views about older adults than social work students, though both student groups had similar perceptions of the challenges and satisfaction of working with older adults. Social work students were more likely to indicate an interest in focusing their careers on working with older adults, though only a small proportion of both nursing and social work students thought that working with older adults had high status. Internships with older adults were not related to enhanced interest in working with this population. Findings raise concerns about future workforce shortages in settings serving older adults and the ability of educational programs to raise interest in caring for this population.