The effect of a structured education program applied to nursing students on their attitudes towards ageism

During the youth period, in which discriminative behaviors against the elderly are most frequently exhibited, it is important to increase the awareness of university students on this issue. In this study, which was planned with this understanding, the aim was to examine the effect of a structured education program on students' attitudes toward ageism. The study was conducted as quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest design. The sample consisted of fourth-year university nursing students (n = 102) receiving education in the nursing department of a university in western Turkey. The study was conducted between 09/29/2023 and 12/23/2023, and a structured education program on old age and ageism consisting of 12 sessions was applied to the entire population. Data were collected using a personal information form and the ageism attitude scale. Number, percentage, mean and standard deviation, and dependent samples t-test were used in data evaluation. Of the students who participated in the study, 75.5% were female and the mean age was 21.90 +/- 1.28. The mean total score of the students who received education about old age was 78.421 +/- 9.194 before the application and 80.588 +/- 7.175 after the application. It was determined that the mean total score increased after the application and that there was a statistically significant difference (t = -2.100; p = .04). It was observed that the structured education program consisting of 12 sessions was effective in increasing the positive attitudes toward ageism. Based on these findings, it is recommended that courses on elderly health be included in the curriculum of nursing students and that long-term education programs that increase awareness of ageism be planned and maintained.