ObjectiveTo understand the willingness to engage in geriatric care among nursing students and analyze its factors under the background of the implementation of "1+X geriatric care" training in higher vocational college.

MethodsA total of 428 nursing students in higher vocational college were randomly selected as study subjects, and general information questionnaire, questionnaire on geriatric care training and willingness to engage in geriatric care, aging knowledge scale and elderly attitude scale were used to conduct the questionnaire survey.

ResultsA total of 302 (70.56 %) nursing students were willing to participate in geriatric care training, 172 (40.19 %) students were willing to engage in geriatric care.Nursing students had poor aging knowledge (13.84±6.43), and tended to appreciate the elderly (114.03±15.12).Nursing students who were from poor families, interested in nursing, willing to participate in geriatric care training, with higher scores of the elderly knowledge and with positive attitude towards the elderly had higher willingness to engage in geriatric care (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).Family income, willingness to participate in geriatric care training, scores of prejudice dimension and the preference for nursing profession were the major factors that affected the willingness to engage in geriatric care(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

ConclusionsThe willingness to participate in geriatric care training among nursing students in higher vocational college is positive but the willingness to engage in geriatric care still needs to be improved.By improving the mechanism of geriatric care industry and changing the employment concept of nursing students, the attraction to talents can be improved and more nursing students will be encouraged to devote themselves to the geriatric care industry.