As nursing professors, we aim to develop future professionals
who are capable of dealing with the ever-more complex environment of gerontological care. Today, long-term care facilities for older people face numerous challenges. One that is
of particular concern to us is that recently graduated nurses
are reticent to look for employment in the field of gerontological care; these professionals favor positions where the
technical aspects and the chances of recovery are palpable
(Stacey 2005). This trend has been internationally documented (Brown, Nolan, and Davies 2008; Henderson et al.
2008). Facing the current and anticipated shortage of registered nurses (International Council of Nurses 2007), it
might seem opportune in some political contexts and to
some employers in the realm of care to elders, to call upon
low-skill personnel (Jaccard Ruedin and Weaver 2009).