This study aims at describing from a nursing student's viewpoint the concept of elderly people and of gerontology, as well as the professional contribution of teaching gerontology. These students were from public institutions of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data was colleted through semi-structured interviews. The content of the questions was subjected to thematic analysis, and the quantitative variables were described through the simple frequency. The sample consisted of 55 students, of which 73% were between 20 to 25 years old; 65,5% were enrolled in the eighth term of the nursing undergraduate program. After analyzing the data, the following thematic categories have arisen: concept of the elderly, social representation of the elderly, concept of gerontology, teaching as a possibility for change. In the nursing student's view, it is possible to infer that teaching Gerontology in undergraduate courses is important to stimulate preparation of specialized human resources in the area.
Nursing education; Geriatrics; Aged; Geriatric nursing; Aging