LAUSR

BACKGROUND Previous studies have focused on identifying the factors hindering nursing students' interest in gerontology careers, whereas others have suggested interventions to promote students' interest in older people nursing. However, the role of a teacher is equally vital in shaping students' career preference. OBJECTIVE This study therefore explored students' perspectives of their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and its association with students' willingness to work in older people nursing. DESIGN A cross-sectional correlation study. SETTING Five Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland. PARTICIPANTS Undergraduate nursing students (N = 243). METHOD A self-administered survey using the Gerontological Nurse Teacher Scale (GeNTS) and the subscale (Willingness) of the Students' Interest in Nursing Older People Scale (SINOPS). Descriptive and inferential analysis were conducted using SPSS. RESULTS There was a moderate positive association (R = 0.25, N = 243, p = 0.000) between students' perspectives of their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and students' willingness to work in older people nursing. The teachers' abilities to develop gerontological nursing course most influence students' willingness in older people nursing (r = 0.26, p = 0.001), whereas their knowledge and interest in gerontology, least influenced students' willingness in older people nursing (r = 0.14, p = 0.025). Also, the teachers abilities to address students' concerns about aging, promote gerontology careers, and demonstrate leadership skills in gerontology all had a similar statistically significant moderate positive association (r = 0.23, p = 0.001) with students' willingness to work in older people nursing. CONCLUSION Faculty need to ensure that there is adequate personal with expertise in gerontological nursing to advocate for resources to establish a reputable gerontological nursing profile in nursing curriculum and to develop and sustain a positive attitude towards older people nursing among students and staff. A qualitative study is needed to understand the reasons behind students' ratings.