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After long term care clinical placements, students filled out evaluation forms,
which included the following question:
How do you feel about working with older adults?
"Even though I plan to work in the NICU, I like working
with older adults. I hate hearing people make comments about
being disgusted and not wanting to work with the elderly.
I find it very unfair. I feel that older people deserve all
the help and assistance they need…"
"I'm not looking forward to working with the elderly.
They appear so fragile and needy to me and I see myself getting
attached to them, more so than any other type of client. Nonetheless,
if I can make them happier than they were when they came to
my institution, I'll be pleased. It's their decline in health
(physically and emotionally) that worries me."
"I am actually considering specializing in the field
of geriatrics. I have always enjoyed being around older people.
I believe they have a lot to offer."
"My first patient at the nursing home was a 93 year
old man, with many chronic diseases requiring total care.
I had nothing but respect for him. Although he could barely
understand English, he did his best to smile and show his
gratitude of my care for him."
"I really like working with older adults because
they are like babies-they depend greatly on our care and love.
Caring for them is the least we can do, in return for all
they have given to us…"
"I'm very concerned about worker to resident ratio
in the nursing home, most especially at break time! All of
a sudden, there is just one RN and 40 residents needing help
at the same time-an impossible situation…We must do more
community outreach and encourage more volunteers to assist
in the homes…"
"I don't mind working with elders. I'm just glad
to help…I feel like I'm taking care of one of my grandparents."
"The nursing home was so depressing. I felt so badly
about how the staff and nurses take care of the patients.
I can't make changes where everybody doesn't take proper care
of patients. I really don't want to be there."
"It was worthwhile to work with the elderly-we can
learn from their many diseases. They also took a lot of medication-another
learning opportunity for us. Overall, we learned a lot from
the clinical situations at the nursing home."
"I would much rather work with kids. I have learned
a lot however. I see how older adults suffer emotionally,
spiritually, mentally and physically. It feels good to see
their faces after I've cared for them…"
"It depresses me to see how the elderly are just
tossed in nursing homes so their families won't have to be
bothered anymore."
"The atmosphere is so sad and depressing. The staff
did not seem excited to be at work, or excited to have nursing
students to help them. Actually, I think the CNA's had animosity
towards us, because we could treat, care for and give meds
to patients, while their primary role was to just clean patients."
"The elderly are not as demanding as I thought they
would be. They try to be more independent than dependent.
I wouldn't mind working with them, but not exclusively."
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