title: The care of and communication with older people from the perspective of student nurses. A mixed method study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Undergraduate nurse education needs to prepare student nurses to meet the demands and to have the necessary communication skills for caring for an increasing older population. The challenges involve how best to support and empower student nurses to learn the communication skills needed to care for older people.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate student nurses' views on the care of and communication with older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive study with a mixed-method approach was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a questionnaire completed by third-year Swedish student nurses in 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The student nurses reported positive attitudes to the care of and communication with older people. The findings focus on the central aspects related to relationship building, techniques for communication and external prerequisites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite positive attitudes, student nurses had a limited view of communication with older people. Educators need to increase student nurses' capacity to communicate effectively with older people. Educational interventions to improve and evaluate the communication competency of nurses and student nurses are needed.
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalens University, Västerås, Sweden; School of Education, Health, and Society, Dalarna University, Sweden; Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institute.
authors.forename: Lena Marmstål
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hammar
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalens University, Västerås, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inger K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Holmström
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalens University, Västerås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skoglund
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalens University, Västerås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martina Summer
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Meranius
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Caring Science, Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, Sweden. Electronic address: annelie.sundler@hb.se.
authors.forename: Annelie J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sundler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Caring; Communication; Education; Mixed-method approach; Nursing