ArticleBMC nursing2026
Predictive roles of empathy and ageism attitudes in nursing students' willingness to care for older adults.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of empathy and attitudes toward ageism on nursing students’ willingness to care for older adults.
backgroundThe growing elderly population has increased the demand for healthcare professionals equipped to offer compassionate and competent care. Empathy and attitudes towards the elderly play a critical role in determining the quality of care provided by nursing students.
methodsThis descriptive study was conducted with 656 nursing students between April and December 2024. Data were collected through online surveys, which included the Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire, the Empathy Quotient Scale, Ageism Attitude Scale and Willingness to Work with Elderly People Scale. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, F-tests, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to examine the relationships between empathy, attitudes towards ageism, and willingness to work with elderly individuals.
resultsThe study found that students’ mean scores on the Empathy Quotient Scale, Ageism Attitude Scale and Willingness to Work with Elderly People Scale were 47.34 ± 12.88, 65.05 ± 13.98, and 64.84 ± 18.29, respectively. Significant differences were observed based on gender, academic level, living with elderly individuals, and past experiences with elderly family members. Female students, senior students and people living in urban areas exhibited higher empathy levels. Additionally, students living with elderly individuals showed more positive attitudes towards ageism and a greater willingness to work with elderly individuals. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that Empathy Quotient Scale and Ageism Attitude Scale scores were significant predictors of Willingness to Work with Elderly People Scale scores, explaining 38.1% of the variance (F = 202.394, p < 0.001). Both higher empathy (β = 0.227, p < 0.001) and more positive attitudes towards ageism (β = 0.229, p < 0.001) were associated with greater willingness to work with elderly individuals.
conclusionsEmpathy levels and positive attitudes towards ageism were found to be significant predictors of nursing students’ willingness to work with elderly individuals. Empathy levels were also higher among students from urban areas compared to those from rural areas. These findings indicate that changes are needed in nursing education in this regard, including the integration of empathy-focused modules as well as clinical training applications into the curriculum. These strategies can increase nursing students’ positive attitudes toward older adults and boost their motivation to provide care to these individuals.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.