Plotting Careers in Aged Care: Perspectives of Medical, Nursing, Allied Health Students and New Graduates

The research reported in this article explored the impact of the undergraduate placement experience on medical, nursing, and allied health students' perceptions of careers in aged care. Data were collected from undergraduate students (48) and graduates (26) via individual (46) and group (7) interviews; data were thematically analyzed. Participants' placement experiences prompted them to characterize aged care simultaneously as “dirty work” and “rewarding work”. Participants perceived that working full-time as a newly-graduated health professional with the aged or in aged care settings would be an unattractive career. Instead, participants considered working in aged care either as a “mid career” or “blended career” option.