Attracting students to aged care: The impact of a supportive orientation

SummaryIntroduction uilding connections in aged care’ project sought to investigate quality clinical placements for undergraduate nursing students in residential aged care facilities in Tasmania, Australia. ound are reportedly holds little attraction to student nurses as an employment option, exacerbating problems with recruiting staff into the sector. This, coupled with knowing the quality of an undergraduate learning experience can influence career choices, provided the impetus for the study. s ed by action research and conducted in three-stages, the project scoped the problem, implemented improvement strategies and assessed sustainability of their effectiveness. Data were collected via structured research meetings and surveys/check lists, and subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis. s finding was the importance of providing students with a comprehensive orientation to the aged care environment. sion itical nature of orientation processes in the establishment of a supportive and welcoming environment for students, and to ‘setting up’ a positive and enjoyable learning experience in aged care settings has not been shown by research to date. sion t orientation warrants greater attention. We recommend strategies concerning the structure of student orientation programs, links with university schools of nursing, use of preceptors, and preparing aged care facility staff.