To investigate nursing students′ attitudes, knowledge and career preference toward elder people and analyze its influencing factors, so as to provide references for teaching reform of undergraduate geriatric nursing education in universities of traditional Chinese medicine.

A total of 187 nursing undergraduates were investigated by facts on aging quiz (FAQ1), Kogan′s attitudes toward old people scale (KAOP) and employment intention scale of nursing students about nursing students′ attitudes, knowledge and career preferences toward elder people, from March to April 2015.

The total score of KAOP scale of nursing students was (139.39±14.50); the mean score of FAQ1 scale of nusing students was (15.37±2.92), and the pass rate was 59.68%. 9.4% of nursing students selected the geriatric nursing positions among the top 3 jobs that nursing students want most. There were significant differences in nursing students′ attitudes toward the elderly based on factors such as: being the only child or not, the relation between parents and the elderly, having experience in dealing with the elderly, and having intention to communicate with the elderly or not (P<0.05). According to the multiple regression analysis, nursing students′ attitude toward the elderly was influenced by being the only child or not, the relation between parents and the elderly, and having intention to communicate with the elderly or not (P<0.05).

Few nursing students would like to choose geriatric nursing work. The experimental teaching contents and methods should be improved in geriatric nursing, and the chance of nursing students should be increased for actual contact with the elderly.

Geriatric nursing; Undergraduate nusing students; Attitude toward older people; Career preferences; Influencing factors; Education reform