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Journal writing has been used in adult, higher, and health care education settings to foster reflection and critical thinking (Hubbs & Brand, 2005 ; Kerka, 1996 ; Kessler & Lund, 2004 ; Schaefer, 2002 ) and assist students to engage and reflect on readings, lectures, and clinical experiences (Chirema, 2007 ; Lasater & Nielsen, 2009 ; Ruland & Ahern, 2007 ). Journal writing can be particularly useful in gerontology education to help students apply didactic content to real-life situations, examine their own and others' attitudes toward aging, clarify values, examine biases, and recognize their personal and professional relationships with older adults. This article describes how journal writing was used in the gerontology rotation of an associate degree nursing program to engage students in the content, encourage examination of personal beliefs, recognize biases, and reflect on perceptions about older adults.
Background
It is estimated that the number of Americans older than 65 will increase from approximately 40 million in 2009 to almost 72 million by the year 2030 (U.S. Administration on Aging, 2010 ). This aging of the population challenges nurse educators to prepare nurses with the specialized knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide for the complex and multifaceted needs of older adults. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative call for inclusion of best geriatric practices in nursing curricula, preparation of nurses with "gero-expertise," and educational methods to foster and support interest in working with older adults as important steps to meet this critical need (AACN, 2010 ; Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative, n.d. ).
Recruitment of nursing graduates into the field of gerontology or geriatric nursing could be hampered by ageism and negative stereotyping of older adults, which are common both in American society and in health care workers (Ebersole & Hess, 2001 ; Miller, 2004 ). Schools of nursing may unintentionally perpetuate the negative aspects of aging by exposing students to only the sickest, most frail older adults, who are often found in acute or long-term care settings. Also, a lack of gerontology-prepared faculty and limited academic and clinical time allocated to gerontology add to the perception that gerontology does not require a specialized body of knowledge and is less valued...