The Reflections of Final Year Medical Students About Nursing Home: “Loneliness and Abandonment”

BACKGROUND: Population aging is a global phenomenon with opportunities and challenges. The numbers and proportions of older people are increasing in almost every country. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of nursing homes among final-year medical students. METHODS: This qualitative study used the word association test as a data collection tool to obtain the reflections regarding nursing homes among final-year students, and the concept of “nursing homes” was defined in face-to-face interviews of the volunteer students. RESULTS: Analysis of data collected from 51 students regarding nursing homes resulted in five main categories (old age [frequency, f=74], positive affect emotions [f=66], negative affect emotions [f=165], loneliness [f=75], and abandonment [f=46]) based on the reflections that the term “nursing home” evoked among the students. In the present study, the final-year students primarily used more negative expressions. CONCLUSION: Qualitative studies with students, such as those included in the present study, can provide important clues for the development of educational curriculum and social health policies.