| Sumario: | Background: Ageism towards older people is prevalent in society as well as in nursing practice and education. purpose: To understand nursing students' perceptions of an e-learning module we developed to enhance student nurses' knowledge about ageism, equity, diversity, and inclusion of older adults. Methods: An exploratory cross-sectional survey was administered to third-year baccalaureate nursing students at a Canadian university after they completed the ageism, equity, diversity, and inclusion module. The survey assessed students' perceptions of the module using four 5-point Likert-type items and one open-ended question. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants' responses and demographic characteristics. Open-ended responses were analyzed using content analysis. results: Our sample included 147 participants. Participants reported that the module increased their confidence, interest, and knowledge in working with older adults in ways that supported equity diversity and inclusion. Participants also found the method of instruction to be convenient, interactive, and enjoyable. conclusions: The e-learning module can be used as part of an overall curriculum focus on improving student nurses' perspectives about ageism, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our next study is to test student nurses; attitudes towards older adults before and after taking the module. BacKGrOuND Ageism defined as negative stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination against ourselves or others based on age (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021) affects both young and older people. The World Health Organization (2021) reports that one in every two people are ageist towards older adults. Student and practicing nurses are not immune to ageism (Gallo, 2019; Mohammed & Omar, 2019; Naughton et al., 2019; Rababa et al., 2020; Toygar & kardakovan, 2020) despite older adults being the most prevalent demographic (united Nations, 2017) that they will see in their practice. This could be due in part to inadequate education about older adults in their basic nursing program (Beltran & Miller, 2020; Benjenk et al., 2019; Dahlke et al., 2020; Hsieh & Chen, 2018) as well as the prevalence of negative stereotypes towards aging embedded in cultures around the world (WHO, 2021). However, lack of knowledge about ageing and older adults can translate into adverse outcomes, functional decline and increased length of hospital stay for older adults (Helvik et al., 2013). To promote student nurses' understanding of ageism and the diversity of the ageing population that could translate into older adults experiencing more inclusion and equity in their healthcare experiences, we developed an e-learning module and asked third-year nursing students about their perceptions of the module. We developed an e-learning module because there is a dearth of gerontological nursing faculty (Naughton et al., 2019; Negrin et al., 2022; Rababa et al., 2020) and this style of learning has been effective for both practicing and student nurses (Dubovsky et al., 2017; Liaw et al., 2016; 2017).
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