Faculty Members’ Attitudes Towards Older People

Samira A Senany

doi:10.4172/2167-1168.1000208

Abstract

Objective: To explores nursing faculty members? attitudes towards older people, their thoughts about gerontologic nursing education. Method: Five focus groups and a survey were used with nursing faculty members (132) at the three nursing schools to explore their attitudes towards the care of older people and the perceived status of gerontological nursing education. The survey was given to 132 faculty members, including 76 clinical instructors, 40 associate professors and 16 professors. The nursing faculty in general had a positive attitude toward older people (M=3.36, SD 0.25) and teachers' attitudes were higher than those of their nursing students (M=3.18, SD0.29). Results: This study results suggests that Saudi nursing curricula should include more extensive gerontology content and clinical experience with older people. Conclusion: This is the first time in Saudi Arabia that research has listened to their voices and examined their commitments toward gerontology education.

Highlights

The ageing population is currently one of the main issues facing international health care systems
This is the first time in Saudi Arabia that research has listened to their voices and examined their commitments toward gerontology education
Five focus groups and a survey were used with nursing faculty members at the three nursing schools to explore their attitudes towards the care of older people and the perceived status of gerontological nursing education in the undergraduate nursing curricula in Saudi Arabia

Summary

Introduction

The ageing population is currently one of the main issues facing international health care systems. In Saudi Arabia culture, older people are regarded with great admiration and respect: for example, it is customary for everyone to stand up when they enter a room, they are allocated the best seats and they are offered drinks and food before anyone else. They are addressed in soft voices and are not called by their first names, but instead are referred to as the father or mother of the oldest son (even if they have a daughter who is older than their son). Courses on ageing tend to be loaded with pathology- and disease-oriented content and contain little to no instruction about the normal physical, psychological and social ageing process [1,2]

Methods

Results

Conclusion