What this means
Nine nursing students were interviewed after volunteering at a senior sports event. They described changes in how they saw older adults and their care. This small interview study cannot show that the experience causes these changes for all students.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- 9 nursing students
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- Cultural Humility, Nursing Students, and Aging Adults: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study.
- Authors
- Watson AL, Ruda P, Beard A
- Journal
- Nursing education perspectives
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42868025 ↗
Abstract
This study explored how engagement with older adults promotes the development of cultural humility in prelicensure nurses. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach informed by Mezirow's transformative learning theory and Kolb's experiential learning theory, nine nursing students were interviewed following their volunteer experience at an international senior athletic competition. Four themes emerged: reframing aging, patient-centered connection, dismantling power dynamics, and shifting from medicalization to holistic care. Findings suggest that meaningful interactions with older adults foster openness, self-reflection, and respect for diversity, highlighting the value of integrating experiential learning into nursing education to prepare the workforce for equitable, person-centered geriatric care.
Watson AL, Ruda P, Beard A Cultural Humility, Nursing Students, and Aging Adults: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study. Nursing education perspectives. 2026. doi:10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001611. PMID: 42868025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42868025/