PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze types of nurse's attitudes toward the aging process.
METHODS: A Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each item was used. Thirty-four selected Q-statements from each of 38 subjects were classified into a shape of normal distribution using a 9 point scale. The collected data was analyzed using a QUANL PC program.
RESULTS: Five types of attitudes towards the aging process from research subjects in Korean nurses were identified. Type I is a positive acceptance type, Type II is a negative acceptance type, Type III is a passive coping type, Type IV is an active coping type, and Type V is an ambiguous acceptance type.
CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that different approaches
of educational programs for elderly care are recommended based on the five types of nurse's attitude toward the aging process.